The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-12-05
GUARDING The CITY.
While It is Hoped That no Cholera
Will Come-Watch.
PRECAUTIONS STILL EXIST
While Most Of the worst Nuisances Have
Been Abated, Every Citizen should be
a Health Omcer Unto Himself - The
River Must be Improved Colds.

When the cholera scare started last
summer and the health authorities of all
the seaboard cities were doing their ut
most to put everything into condition to
resist the dreaded pest the Providence
health department went TO work with
will TO get rid of filthy places and cause
the remoual OF privy vaults and other
sources OF danger. The NEWS at that
time ana afterwards wrote up some OF
the worst OF the places Of disease-breed-
ing filth and most of them were removed
or cleaned, and the health department
was given additional powers by the city
council In the matter or compelling the
abatement OF nuisances. The police were
also instructed To look out for the clean
illness OF their respective districts, which
In general way is always their duty.
Now the question comes up as to what
the condition of the city Will be next
spring, aud in case cholera should again
appear In the country how IL will be
haudled here, or rather. kept from COM
ing here. Some people do not think there
Is any more probability of ch olera next
spring than there was last, but the health
authorities OF most seaboard cities will
be very careful that they are ready for it.
If they act wisely. la this city the pre-
cautions taken last summer have been
followed up. The point which the health
depari ment has most In hand now Is the
removal OF all privy vaults, and that is
being done as rapidly as possible, and by
spring the worst of them may be removed.
As was said, many of the worst disease
spots have been cleaned up, but there are
certainly some left and there is danger of
carelessness on the part OF property
owners and occupants which will cause
or allow the accumulation of more filth
and thus endanRer the health OF the city,
even If cholera should not reappear in the
spring. 1t is not alone the duty of the
health department. to keep things clean,
but each citizen should be health officer
himself.
The illness OF Superintendent OF Health
Chapin does not prevent the work from
being energeJically carried on by his
assistants. DIR. King and Inspector Rogers,
but it is very unfortunate that DR.
Chaplin should, by his close attention To
the duties Of his position, have contracted
typhoid fever from which he has been
sick for nearly two months
The worst source OF disease. perhaps, is
the river with its smells and filth. ANY
one who watched the big dredge digging
up mud near the Continental Steamboat
Company's wharf must have realized the
source of the fearful stencil which made
that part of the city uncomfortable last
summer. The COMMITTEES on mauufac-
turers waste Will probably suggest a
remedy for some part OF that pollution
sooner or later, the sooner the better. |
These cold mornings one can pass the |
river without any discomfort. out next |
will come aud the smells Of last |
summer will come with it.
The building of new sewers has gone or I
rapidly aud there seems to be a fair
chance that the city will eventually get
rid of the worst causes of disease
Typhoid fever, although not so much /,
dreaded as cholera is another of the out |
growths of the river pollution and the |
pollution. 1t does not seem to |
be alarmingly prevalent but there is |
m ore of it in Providence than there |
ought to be-.