The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-09-05
SANITARY PRECAUTIONS IN PLUMBING

SANITARY PRECAUTIONS IN PLUMBING
The people Of Richmond ought TO be thor
| oughly aroused on tho subject of sanitary
| precautions While the mortality during the
present prevalence of diphtheria has not
been extraordinary as compared with similar
| visitations at other times it has. strange TO
| say been most pronounced among prosper
GUS people living in one Of the best portions
| Of the city. Ii is stated that the disease is
not found east of Tenth street and that
there is not a case in the low lying. thickly
settled districts in the region Of the Old
market. The fact. however, that the most
! distressing instances OF this disease have been
| found in tho homes of well-to-do peo-
| pie indicates that there IL something else be-
sides dirty alleys and slaughter-house filth TO
| be feared and prevented. Probably one OF
the most direful causes OF diphtheria. as well
as Of other dangerous diseases. is defective
| plumbing. which permits pernicious sewer
gas. often without odor sufficiently offensive
to attract attention. TO invade the homes Of
the most cautious. This gas. penetrating the
living apartments. is inhaled continuously
until the system is thoroughly poisoned, and
the most dreadful consequences become in
estable before the existence of disease is sus-
pected
Plumbing is generally regarded as an oc-
cult science and plumbers as little better than
necromancers. Their bills. which are pro-
verbally lengthy, are generally disputed and
the plumber denounced frequently because
the extent Of his services are not understood.
As subject which IS deemed beyond the
knowledge Of comm on mortals, the character
Of the plumbing in a house is ordinarily lett
TO the plumber, the builder deyoting
himself exclusively to an effort TO
cut down the size of the bill. OF course. If
the plumber is required TO put in a certain
number Of appliances and conyeniences for a
certain sum of money he is often forced 10
cheap expedients which he entirely dsap-
proves. The owner of the building. If II is
one constructed for rent. may be quite irdf-
ferent as to the proper precautions. If they
are expensive, provided there is an apparent
compliance with the ordinary requirements Of
tenants And so death-traps are built and
unsuspecting parents take their little children
20 their doom,
We know that there are in Richmond plum
bers as able and willing TO do frst-class work
as any in the land who would prefer to do
their work thoroughly. as. for example, with
the soil pipe through and above the roof: fresh
air inlets running traps outside ventilation,
and whatever else would make the premises
secure against the deadly sewer gases, if they
were permitted 10 do 30.
There is no ordinance in the city of Rich
mond governing the construction Of plumb
ing work except such as relates only to the
use of water. and yet that there ought to be
an ordinance compelling compliance with the
established necessary rules for sanitary
plumbing, and that il ought to be executed
under the eyes Of competent inspectors, IS as
true. indeed more true and more important,
than the ordinance against garbage III the
streets or filth in back yards and alleys,
which may be seen and reported 10 the
health officers. and which is less dangerous
because it is exposed to the open air.
Our City Council should take this matter
up at once and pass such an ordinance as
may be necessary to have the plumbing in
buildings hereafter constructed done under the
supervision of competent inspectors, and not
only so, but where there is reason 10 believe
in any case the present plumbing arrange
ments are the cause of danger to
health. the proper officials of the city
ought TO have authority to have them
corrected. If tenants would refuse TO take a
building until the landlord could produce
from the health officer of the city certificate
that the plumbing was properly constructed
and safe, we would have the death rate of
this city decidedly lower.
The remedy of this apparent evil should
not in any wise lessen the vigorous attack
upon dirty back yards. unvisited blind
alleys and Bacons Quarter Branch and its
filthy slaughter-houses Ordinances have
been passed and are executed on this plumb
ing business in other cities as a matter of
course il should be so herel