The record-union., 1893-04-19
CAN WE WARD OFF THE CHOLERA,

States this year being greater than they
were last year. The convention is also of
one mind that quarantine along land lines
cannot be relied upon with any great de-
gree of faith. Some of the sanitarians
go so far as to oppose all land quarantine
as useless waste of means and energy.
For instance, to guard the interior lines of
California, means to patrol nearly eight
hundred miles of border and to main
tain several stations with large, efficient
corps of guards and examiners. When
this is done, unless all passengers COM
ing in are detained from ten to twelve
days, the chances of the cholera slipping
through by such agency are greater than
ofits being kept out.
Nevertheless it is proposed to main
tain interior line quarantine as reason
able precaution. Another thing agreed
upon with emphasis everywhere is that
there should be immediate and thorough
sanitation of all the towns and cities.
But can this be done? With municipal
matter of the supremest difficulty to ap-
ply sanitary laws? The most of the health
inspectors and their subordinates have
very little idea of what true sanitation is
The mass of them think the sweeping
and carting away of rubbish and filth
accomplishes the purpose, together with
the sprinkling about of disinfecting fluids
and powders. The fact is that in large
number of cases there is less danger in
filth as it lies than in its removal, unless
the matter is destroyed by chemical dis
Indignation, or by fire, which is the great
est and best of disinfectants.
A cesspool filled with noxious and dis
ease-breeding filth is less dangerous in
its original state than when its contents
are stirred up by removal and the results
dumped on the outskirts of town and
covered by slight layer of earth, and on
which in due time house is erected in
which some poor man is invited to live.
Where the matter is not used for filling,
and is left exposed to the sun, it is less
dangerous, butt takes some weeks, often
months of hot sun to destroy the danger
Gus character of dump heap. We have
seen such heaps four years old that at the
center, when opened. or when penetrated
by moisture, disclosed the most revolving
concentration of diseases breeding mat
ter.
So. too, if filth is thrown or discharged
into rivers it is very liable to contaminate
the banks of the streams and there breed
all manner of disease. If the filth pits of
houses are cleaned they should be disin-
tected by the most powerful agencies, and
TO that end every town should have steam
and chemical apparatus that can be
wheeled to any lot in the place speedily.
One of the prolific sources of dangers
which health inspectors are apt to over
look is the damp and reelling deep cellars,
and the filthy ground beneath old side
walks and floorings. In all such places
light and air must be freely admitted and
chemical correction of the filthy soil had.
DR.. SCHNEIDER, the sanitarian, insists that
not due attention is given to the disposal
of the slops and offal from hotels,
restaurants and markets. There should
be allowed no burial of this order of mat
ter-it should all be burned, and that at
high temperature, and to that end fur
mace and tall pipe chimney are essential,
and these can be supplied without heavy
cost. The fuel in such crematories is de-
rived to the extent of forty per cent. from
the matter treated, since under high heat
It rapidly dries and becomes combustible,
with the addition of small percentage of
petroleum.
In the matter of sewers there is but one
safe way of treating them. They should
be not only flushed frequently, but when,
and just before the epidemic appears, the
manholes and basins should all be tightly
closed and humid gases named by the
Board of Health forced into the drains.
All filth-pits, water-closets and the like
should be treated by emptying and inn
mediate distinction in the most thorough
manner, and after that dry earth only
should be used under compulsion with
all other use of the pits. Where water
closets are in use, and they discharge into
cesspools, there should be ample ventila-
ton and constant application of the most
powerful germicides, and absolute pro-
hibiton of the use of them for the dis
charges from the SICK all such discharges
being treated chemically before being
otherwise disposed OF.
In short, if there is to be sanitation of
our towns and cities, it should be thor
ough or not at all-mero stirring up will
do no good. We must go 10 the root of
the danger, or not at all. To apply patch
work will not help any community.
Every drain may be cleaned, every filth
pit emptied and every dump-heap
burned. but if the output of the first
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