Morning journal and courier., 1893-04-17
COMMUNICATIONS.

Adherence of Sly Persons and Especially of Those Who slylyAttack Sanitary Officials and Thereby Show Themselves sly Enemies of the Pub. lie Health.
 To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER: Nothing conduces so much to an exalted and at the same time severely tranquil frame of mind as the study of pure science. And, if any science is unadulterated, 1t is sanitary science. When harassed by the cares to which man "poor but scientific is sometimes subjected, have usually soothed my throbbing nerves by reading in that delightfully."- esthetio work, "Cesspools and Sewers"
 But I must confess that events some times occur which temporarily rufis even so philosophic a mind as that of a veteran sanitsrian. One of those unpleasant periods afflicted me yesterday when I ssw the following article In the New York Sun:
 A we'll known practitioner of medicine says: Probably you have noticed the ten dency of epidemic diseases to run them selves out even in districts where no pre- cautionsry measures are taken It has been shown in the history of every great plague-the 'black death,' cholera, and the rest, and now 1t Is illustrated in the grip. We have the grip with us again, ss you know, and there have been 8 few fatal cases of it; but 1t Is nothing to what 1t WAS in its first and second season. Then, you remember, there ware instances where 1t WAS fatal within twsnty-four hours, and its effects were more severe and more last ing than they have been since. This is regular grip weather, yet the grip is slowly dying out. Diseases die as we'll as the peo- pie who have them"
 When I read this atrocious statement by ia well known medical practitioner" the bristles stood up straight the whole length of my backbone. Nothing is more detest- able than sly person, and especially sly enemy of the public health who inadvert- antly reveals his wickedusss by sly at taeks on sanitarlans.
 This statement Is an insidious attempt to disseminate the perpicious idea that the efforts of sanitarians have no influence whatsoever either in preventing or in re- moving the grip, the cholera and kindred pestilential epidemic. Mark how 6 plain tale will put this wretch down.
 First, let us talk about the grip. sd- init that 1t did seem at first as if that ter rible and wholly unsanitary disease bsde defiance to sanitary science. But no one but Q superficial person will say that the slow disappearance of the grip Is not due to the unweeried lsbors of our boards of health. When the grip first appeared 1t acted In a very upgentlemsnly manner. It neither gave us notice when 1t WAS going to come nor what 1t was going to do after 1t got here. The first thing we knew about the matter the grip had invaded the whole country and was committing awful rsvages from tho Atlantic 10 ths Pacific aud from Canada to Mexico.
 Of course we were taken 5y surprise and our sanitary forces were not numerous enough to attack and at once vanquish the millions of grip microbes which inhabited every cubic foot of sir over the North American continent. For example, we have only one plumbing inspector in this hundred of these estimable officials. But although our sanitary corps was de- | fcient In number and badly paid we have
 brsvsly kept up the war against the grip bacteria Ia some oAses salaries have been raised and In other ipstsnoes additional officers hsvo been appointed. So that on | the whole sanitary science has made steady 1 progress and the malignant grip has been
 steadily but surely sinking under ouE l scientific blows.
 We have conquered the grip. We gre | now ready to attack and vsnqulsh the cholera. But in order to have our labors
 successful, there must be no more parsi-
 mony. Our scientific directions must bs
 carried out, no matter how many salaries
 must be raised nor how many assistant
 scientists appointed. It Is true that the cholera has wandered at Its own sweet will | all over Asia and Europe, but this is wholly | due to laek of such 0 concentrated, organi
 zed disciplined, philanthropic and scientific | host of ssnitsrisns that now arrsyed ir
 this country for warfare sgsinst the
 cholera morbus. Hereafter, shall chroni
 ole this encounter and relate our glorious
 victory. I have no doubt we shall subdu,
 the cholera just as We have already put
 down the grip. To your tents, O Israeli AN OLD SASITARIAS.