The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-11-23
THE CAUSE OF FEVERS.
DIR, LIE HARDY LAYS THE BLAME
ON BAD DRAINAGE.


Similar to What They We're Before
the Yellow Fever Epidemic OF 1875.
The Doctor Says the City Had Mar
row Escape From an Epidemic Last
Year-The Citizens Sanitary Asso-
citation Asks DIR. Read to Stand for
Reelection as County Commissioner.
The discussion had at the meeting Of the
Citizens Sanitary Association Monday
night bears considerable import on the
question Of the health OF the city. The
causes Of what sickness there is 10 the COM
munity and the proper remedies tn be ap-
piled for its abatement. as suggested at the
meeting, will be read with interest by the
citizens of Savannah.
Among those present at the meeting were
Capt Henry Blum, president; DR.. J. @.
LeHardy, DIR. R. J. Num-, Hon. W. d.
Harden. Capt. R. A. Blandford and Messrs.
P. NJ. Dougan, Charles F. Prendsrgast,
John Nicholson, John Derst and NJ. J.
Desvergers.
Upon call for committee reports, DIR. Lee
Hardy reported that the committee ap-
pointed by the association to confer with
committees from the board of health Of
Brunswick and other cities to formulate
some plan for securing a state board Of
health in Georgia, had opened correspond
ence in the matter by communication adj
dressed to the Brunswick board Of health,
but that no answer to the communication
had been received.
THE STATE BOARD OF HEALTH.
1.-The time for the passage of bill for
health purposes In Georgia" said DIR. Le-
Hardy, "has notyet arrived aud will be de-
ferred SO long as the people Of Georgia re-
gard money spent for the preservation Of
health a waste. There is but ono thing lsft
to drive them into 1t, and that Is fear. II
cholera had spread in the United States
during the past season we would have
obtained board Of health through ate
legislation, and the convict labor or the state
would have been put to work for sanitary
purposes instead Of being farmed out to
some Influential citizen to reward him for
pulling political wires.
The question OF establishing a state
board of health has been discussed several
times before the legislature, bills having
been presented for that purpose, but so far
the efforts have been vain"
DR.. Lehardy stated that he had pres
pared no written report to submit as the
medical director of the association, but
thought it well TO make verbal one, in
order to inform the mem oers Of the associ-
alton of some existing sanitary evils which
should be removed If practicable. The
number OF cases Of malarial fever, he said,
has been greater this year in the city than
for many years past, and the grade of few
ers higher thaa usual, especially in districts
adjacent to the oity on the southeast. south
and southwest
THE CAUSE OF FEvERs.
1t ia due to one thing, and that Is neglect
of drainage. After the yellow fever cpl
demic of 1876. lands on the southeast and
south of the city were well drained and the
surface kept dry for some years, but the
drains have been Jeff untouched for the past
five or SIX years, and they are now perfectly
useless and the lands given back to the con-
dition they were IN before the yellow fever
epidemic.
MalariaI fevers, DR.. LeHardy said, have
also been more prevalent than usual in the
city, especially on the eastern and south
eastern and western slopes from the same
cause. There has existed in the city during
the past season quite a large number of cases
Of low grade fever, and OF typhoid fever-a
| thing which to this date had been unknown
| here. Until quite recently said the
doctor. 1--WE could boast that typhoid fever
never originated here. Now we have seen
an alarming number OF cases in the
city; and unless the cause be removed, IL Is
likely to increase. What is the causes In
order to ascertain it, your health committee
DtAb dOAA0ssc0 AbsOAl W buo sOCl6Ey
and medical profession for information.
NOT CAUSED BY THE WATER.
"That 10 is not due TO the mixing of river
water and artesian water any one who takes
the trouble of rejecting one instant can sat
isfy himself. We drank river water for
years and bad no typhoid fever. We have
drank pure artesian water without its pro-
ducing the disease. The Savannah river
water, II Invested of the clay held In suspen-
I - se IL
| never spoils, and its chemical reactions show
a degree of purity which is remarkable.
The artesian water is not SO pure and does
spoil, but it has proved to be-
healthy, and certainly the combi-
nation of the two, If anything, would be
a betterment. But there are many other
conditions which are of recent origin, and
which can produce an epidemic of filth dis
case: The upturning of the soil in our
streets during the summer months. the
spreading Of material containing animal
matter in the state of putrefaction is
another, and the allowing of dairy COWS
access to Bilbo canal and other sewers for
their drinking water, and there may be
other causes brought forth shortly.
NARROWLY ESCAPED AN EPIDEMIC.
"Our city has barely escaped a serious
epidemic this summer" said DR.. LeHardy.
lowing TO the culpable neglect to properly
| drain the lands within and without the
city's limits, and the quantity OF stagnating
water, and the extensive area of sobby soil
which are now around US. constitute a con-
staut threat upon the progress of the city.
! They are conditions which should be looked
after Immediately.
IF the temperature had been above the
average instead of many degrees below It :;
if the rainfall had been up to the average
instead of many inches below it during the
past summer nothing could have prevented
the occurrence of serious epidemic; and
unless the sanitary evils to which have
alluded be removed the moment the heat and
| moisture come up TO or reach above the
average, we will have it. 1t is now a very
serious matter, aud believe that this asso-
citation can by its influence aid greatly any
effort to select good men as commissioners
OF the county-men who will see that the
lands whose condition affects detrimentally
the health OF our people be drained-no
matter at what cost-no matter by what
means
KIND OF COMMISSIONERS WANTED,
81 regard the selection Of county commits
sioners OF vital import TO the future pros
perlty of this city, and hope our members
will work to secure such ones who will look
to it,"
Maj. Blandford, consulting engineer of
the association, said that be had no formal