The record-union., 1892-08-29
CLEAN UP.
The Only Safeguard Against ChoIera's
Ravages.
What the Authorities and Private Cit
liens Should Do to Prevent
Its Lodgment.

Now that there is at least a possible
danger that the cholera scourge may be
brought across the ocean, it become the
duty of the health officials of this city to
put forth unusual energy and enforce the
sanitary laws TO their utmost limit.
1t is likewise the duty of every house
holder in this city, and of every family
occupying house, to see that their
premises are placed in the best possible
sanitary condition. Every offensive cess
pool-and there are hundreds Of such
should be cleaned, old ones abandoned,
and every possible precaution taken that
would tend to give the disease a foothold
here.
Cholera is essentially a filth disease,
and there is little danger of its abiding
long in community that is thoroughly
clean. Ordinary self-interest-to say
nothing of the safety of an entire COM
munity-should inspire citizens to clean
up their premises and keep them Clean
1t Is OF little use for one to do so if his
neighbor neglects this important duty.
II necessary and it looks as if it were
the authorities should appoint assist
ant inspectors and have every house and
lot in the city visited and examined as to
the condition of their plumbing, cess
pools and vaults, and the habits of fam
lies in disposing of the refuse matter of
| their houses fully Investigated.
No ordinary cleaning up'' of the Chi
| nese quarter will suffice. That hotbed of
filth and nastiness should be put through
such course Of publication as it has
never yet known. We cannot afford to
have the cholera here if il can be kept
out, and there is only one way to keep it
out, should it spread over this continent,
and that is by giving it nothing on which
to feed.
During visitation of cholera the water
used for domestic purposes is one of the
most potent factors in it's distribution,
and IN this particular our city is in an
unfortunate position, as our river water
may be contaminated by dozen or more
towns before reaching us.
Only few months ago it was demon
strated beyond question that supply of
pure water could be had from wells sunk
in this vicinity, but the silurian senti-
ment was so strong against the expendi-
ture OF a few thousand dollars that moth
ing was done about it, Under the pres
ent condition Of things the only safe
guard, SO far as the water is concerned, is
to boil 1t. This, II done properly, will
dispose of disease germs.
1t behooves the City Trustees to see
that the city sewers are frequently and
thoroughly hushed-no halfway work
about it.
DR.. J. r. Laine, Secretary of the State
Board of HEALTH in a statement made to
contemporary, says that epidemics of
yellow fever and cholera are ALWAYS
greatly intensified when in the vicinity
of otfal and the impurities of a great city.
When cholera was in this country before
1t did not take as many lives as were
taken by diphtheria, for instance, during
any ten years, and yet diphtheria is not
looked upon by the people with anything
like the same sense of apprehension.
''In such cities as Boston and Philadel-
phia," says DR.. Laine, 'the sanitary au-
thorities have in former epidemics been
able to predict with certainty the locali-
ties where the disease would prove fatal.
! They could indicate where it would fol-
| low along the side of one street and not
upon the other; that it would elect one
! part of the city and not affect the resi-
dence portion OF another to any con-
| siderable extent, or not at all. This would
at first seem remarkable, but the authori-
| ties could explain the cause. They could
| tell that beneath or alongside of a certain
row of houses there lay choked and un-
| used sewer, the gases arising from which
and the polluted soil adjacent to it, though
| odorless, nevertheless vitiated the atmos-
| phere and furnished a media for the prop
ag@sion of the disease. The people liv-
| ing in quarters where they continually
Dreatned an atmosphere pervaded by
sewer gas or the emanations from defect
| i've drains were the most likely to be af-
| fected.
There is no reason to believe that the
disease will deviate from its usual course.
| Once here we must observe municipal
and domestic cleanliness, all cesspooi and
privy odors must be annihilated; garbage
and sewage should be destroyed. Our
sewage must be rapidly drained away,
Our sewers well washed ont We D,nst
eat no raw food; drink none but water
! that has been boiled; avoid excesses; be
cheerful, and we need have no fears of
| the epidemic"