Smyrna times., 1892-12-28
What We 8we Our NeighbOr.

Zone Of our citlzens d member of the Boaid O
Health. hands us the following as aprOpOs st this
time.-ED.l
A Divine command enioins, "Thou
shalt not kill" Another SAYS, "Iove
thy neighbor as thyself," and anon
these two injunctiOns rest the funda-
mental principles of good government
and society.
Unfortunately in this day the first of
these commands is supposed only to
apply to the taking of life by violent
| means, and the second too many treat
as very pretty sentiment, applicable
in an allegOrical sense only, and not
intended for every day friction with
mankind. The sanitist, however,
takes more comprehensive view, and
| following the teachings of the greatest
of all law-givers and the most eminent
exponent of humanitarian ideas, in
cludes all those agents affecting the
life as well as the health of the indi-
vidual.
Natures laws are permanent in their
action, and are Interchangeable in their
/ effects in the organic as we'll as in the
inorganic creation. A poisonous at
mOsphere will as surely destroy health
drug taken with suicidal intent, or ac-
cidentally administered.
AS good citizens we should jealously
guard the health of our neighbOr, and
as selfish mOrtals we owe it to our
selves that we shall protect the life of
our neighbor from disease, for in doing
so, We defend our OWE.
The man who permits priVy vault
or cesspOOl under the bedroom window
OF his neighbOr, poisoning the atmOs-
phere he breathes, is as certainly
guilty OF murderOus act as if he as
saulted him with dirk or pistol. IL is
known that an open vault, cesspool or
prlVy, located within one hundred feet
OF well, the water of which is used
for drinking purposes, will poison
such water and cause many intestinal
troubles, besides feVers OF low type.
Have you any moral or legal right to
80 injure the health of your neighbOr
because, iorsoOth, this sanitary nuis.
ance Is on your own property A pig
sty or stable will cause the same i'm
pairment of health unless carefully At.
tended to; and how many are looked
after to prevent their becoming nuis
ances in every conception of the term ?
"A case OF measles or whoOping cough
usually considered the lesser of the
contagious diseases of childhood. or
worse, diphtheria or scarlet fever, if
concealed, cause grief, to say nothing
OF expense or anxiety to your neigh
bOrs, whose children may inherit deli
cate constitutions. A visit is paid to
the sick child with the kindest and
most charitable intentions. but without
warning from you the disease is con.
tracted or conveyed, aud in few davs
there is an empty crib and a mourning
Rachel in your neighbor's home, and
an atfiicton for which you are certainly
accountable.
Thus instances can be multiplied
and given where through carelessness
or indifference, our neighbor's life and
health is often imperled, aud it is
Only when shock is given US or to
our families, and in sorrow, the full
realization of personal responsibility is
brought to bear upon us, do we com.
prehend what we owe to our neiyhbor
III the protection of his health. His
health and life, and the health and life
OF his family, is as dear to him as ours
ls to US. and moral, IS well as legal
responsibility rests upon each of US in
TINS respect, particularly so, as to san
ltarlans Is the question directed "Am
| my brothers keeper ?" and in the
light of sanitary science you are.