Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-02-24
THE SANITARY LEAGUE,
Something About the Work which the Or
ganization II to Do.

BeuiSStson u TO do.
THE rRELrMINARIEs ALREADY sErrLRD-Rr-
PORTS TO BE MADE AT A MEETING TONIGHT
SUGGESTIONS As TO SANITATION IN RELA-
TON TO THE POOR MADE IN RECENT AD-
DRESS IN BALTIMORE
Every one is interested in the sanitary condi-
ton Of his own home. He is interested, too, in
the sanitary condition Of the homes of every
one else in the community. though his concern
In other peoples homes may not exert NOV
ing influence upon him. except in the case of
threatened epidemic. The coming of summer
and the possible coming with it Of the cholera
has made many citizens give serious thought
to the duty that the community owes to itself
and that every citizen owes to the commun-
ity. Ono result has been the organization
Of the Sanitary League of the District,
whose plans have been outlined in
The STAR. Committees have already been ap-
pointed in various districts of the city and the
preliminary work has been commenced. Citi-
zens are invited to cooperate with the league
and to become members Of it. 1t is proposed
to have the organization engage in
the collection of information, through
inspections and also to carry an
educational work, diffusing sanitary knowledge.
To carry out these objects committees have
already been organized. Happily for the cause
DR.. j. s. Billings accepted the post of chair
man OF the sanitary committee. which is to di-
rect the sanitary work of the league. Besides
his general knowledge Of the subjects
with which his committee has to deal,
which is such to render him one of the
highest authorities in the world, he possesses
special knowledge of the conditions prevailing
in Washington. having just completed an ex-
tensive study and compilation Of data regard
ing the death rate in this city for the census
bureau. Another committee which is likely
to come into contact with the public is the COM
| mttee on promotion, Of which Mr.. Myron NJ.
| Parker was made chairman. This committee
has been engaged in considering means for en-
listing the interest of the public in the work OF
the league. These committees will report at a
meeting Of the council to be held at the board
Of trade rooms tonight. At the same time it is
& 'ected that reports will be made by the chair
men OF the district sanitary committees. These
chairmen when they were appointed fortnight
| ago were supplied with general memorandum
| by the chairman of the sanitary committee as
| to points to be observed in their general inspec-
| ton OF their respective districts. This memo
randum was a. follows:
DIR. BILLINGS MEMORANDUM.
| 1t is recommended that before the next meet
ing of the council the chairman Of the sanitary
districts should each make general survey of
his field of work, noting the existence Of gross
|
pools of stagnant water collections of refuse
in alleys, vacant lots or yards as seen from
streets or ALLEYS, the presence of dumping
grounds for refuse, conditions indicating de-
fective soil drainage. the existence Of numerous
privies indicating want of sewer connections. DC.
| Localities having more or less crowded alley
population should be noted. also the presence OF
il-kept stables, of collections of rags and bones
in short of any conditions which may be
deemed detrimental to the public health.
Such an examination will enable the chairman
to select the localities where house to house
inspection is most desirable and should be first
made, and in which members of his local COM
mittee should lie secured if possible.
1t Is suggested that valuable information and
suggestions On these points can probably be
obtained by consulting with the police OF the
several police districts. 1t is hoped that at the
next meeting of the council each chairman of a
local committee will be prepared to give brief
report as to the general sanitary condition OF
his district.
| SANITATION IN RELATION TO THE POOR.
DR.. VIM. H. WEIGH Of Johns Hopkins Uni
versity in an address delivered recently before
the Charity Organization Society of Baltimore
on "Sanitation in Relation to the Poor" made
many suggestions pertinent to this city as well
as Baltimore and having reference to work such
az that which the league is intended to accom-
plish.
1.-The sanitary condition Of the poor" DR..
| WEIGH said. lis matter which concerns not
the poor alone, but the whole community.
There is abundant evidence to show that the
health of the city is influenced. in large meas
ure by the condition of the abodes, the habits
and the surroundings OF the poor. The re-
moval, SO far as practicable, of unsanitary con-
ditions attendant upon poverty Is not philan-
thropic under aking only. but it is a duty which
states and cities owe to all of the citizens.
"a third reason" he went on, why it is de-
srable TO introduce This subject here is that it
| is in the power of individuals doing the work of
| this organization to diffuse sanitary
knowledge among the poor. The results of
| such individual effort may not be great as com
pared with what may and should be done by
! public agencies. but they will do some good. es-
pecally in the direction of domestic hygiene, a
subject of which women can be excellent teachers.
| The two circumstances which have had the
most potent influence in the development of
modern sanitary science have been the occur
renee of great epidemics Of disease, especially
of cholera. and also in this country of yellow
| fever and the belief in the dependence of those
diseases usually called zymotic or infectious
upon filth. If the public cannot be awakened
in any other way to the correction of glarlng
sanitarv defects than by an outbreak of cholera
then such visitation is not an unmXed evil,
tor in a few years more lives will probably be
saved by the removal of we-known causes of
preyentable disease than are DESTROYED by the
cholera and the chances OF a renewal Of the
ished
Hamburg has been warned time and again by
sanitarians of the danger of using unfiItered
Elbe water for drinking purposes. but it has
required the sacrifice within the space Of few
weeks of 1000 lives and untold misery for this
warning to be needed.
at is fortunate that public sanitary measures
have been controlled largely by the belief
that most infectious diseases depend upon filth
In this belief the main purpose of public sani
tary efforts has been to render pure the water
we drink. the air we breathe, the food We ca.
and the soil upon which We live.
MANY of these disease germs. however, are
widely distributed and there is good reason to
believe that such unh, gienc conditions as those
mentioned afford to many the best opportuni
ties for multiplication and for conveyance tc
the human body. II we render difficult or i'm
possible the contamination of our water, air
food and soil. with ordinary impurities which
may not in themselves be demOnstrably harm
full, we make difficult or impossible their con
tamination with the germs OF many diseases.
CONSTANT MENACE.
Eve are thus enabled to understand hov
there may be serious sanitary defects in plac.
without such an injurious influence upon healtl
a. to attract much attention. Nevertheless
the SO defects are q constant menace to tn,
health OF tho inhabitants. The demonstration
of sewage contamination in the sources Of sup
ply of drinking water is significant, not becaus,
the admixture with sewage ia IN itself dangerous