The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-27
The CITY'S SANITATION.
Dr.. ]. c. LeHardy'S Report to the
Sanitary Association.

Sanitary Association.
The Conditions Surrounding savan-
nah Now Compared With the Condi-
lions Surrounding It Eighteen Years
Aeo-The ohcers of the Sanitary As
sociation for this Year-Capt. Henry
Blun Reelected President.
The Citizens Sanitary Associa ton held
its annual meeting last night at No.
Dravton street. Among those present
were; Capt Henry Blum, Or. J. c. Le-
Hardy. MIR. William Kehoe, DR.. George
n stone. Mr.. ]. s. Wood, Mr. p. M.
Dougan, Mai. R. A. Blandford, c. N.
West. Esq, w. D. Harden, ESQ.,, Col.
George A. Mercer, MIR. d. ]. Murphy and
MIR. NJ J. Desvergers.
The principal business of the meeting
was the annual report of the medical
director, DR.. LeIiardy, upon the sanitary
conditions surrounding the city as COM
nared with these OF 1876. DR.. LeHardy's
report is as follows
MEDICAL DIRECTORS REPORT.
tn the Offcers and Members of the Citi-
zens' Sanitary Association Of Savannah:
Gentlemen-You are aware that 1873 has
ended with about ten inches surplus rainfall,
and all the swamps allied and low lands Gov
cred with staA nant water. Inc winter has
been so mild tnat stagnant pools everywhere
are already covered with green slime-that
harulnEer OF malaria. In spite OF the long
smell OF dry weather Of January and Fe ruary
there are hundreds OF acres OF land within the
city's juris fiction and hundreds OF acres out
side OF these limits, that are vet and Uoggy;
that is 10 say. in very unhealthy condition.
The doctors have had under treatment
great numo Of cases OF malartal poisoning
al winter long, either in the form OF inter
mittent or lilious fever or in computation
with the grippe, influenza, pneumouia, colds
gias, etc, all requiring the adinlnlstra-
tion OF Qulnine.
time remember that the same conditions
existed here during the winters OF lofo-7o.
1t will therefore oe me part OF prudence anu
wisdom for those who have authority over
the a. airs of savannah and OF Chatham
county TO remove the cause Of this ma4arla
before hot weather comes upon US and to
make dillgent search for all things
cauaDle Of creating sickness or which
can bring about an epidemic disease,
so that they may get rid of them Letore ii
too late. They are fully cognizant o. the IN
told losses sustained Oy our nelshuoilng city
Brunswick. last fall; of the condition of az
ject pauperism and vassalage TO which the
inhabitants we're subjected Oy the surgeons
OF the marine hospital service, who assumed
the entire management of affairs during four
months of the year. because OF tle occurrence
OF one case oil yellow fever, followed by an
epidemic fever, called yellow FEVER, the nor
tally from which Uarely reaching 30 IL pop
ulatlOn of 5,U0J Had the Warning system
of house drainage. which they now
propose to construct, been in operation
last year: had the city been kept clean and its
surroundings properly drained, Brunswick
would have been spared all this.
Then, If anything can De done TO save US
from her fate lei no stone remain unturned,
no matter what may re the difficulties to
overcome, no matter what the cost may ue.
This / believe voices the sentiment OF every
memCer OF the sanitary aSsoclation-ot every
man and woman IN this city.
The state uoard OF health Of Georgia, which
met here immediate y after the dreadful vel
low fever epidemic which nearly ruined our
city in 1876, TO examine INTO the causes which
brought about the calamity reported that
1.-THE sanitary condition of savannah prior to
the outbreak OF yellow fever in 1870 was eX-
ceedingly Objectionable The low lands which
surrounded the city were UNFRAMED
The condition Of the sewers was objection
able. because no provision was made to flush
them g
"Bilno canal was, and is in a disgusting
condition.
"4he majority of houses are provided with
outs de privy cOnVeniences. The condition of
these privy vaults ana the method of clean
ing and the disposition OF their contents are
considered most objectionable to the health
OF the city Grave charges are a lso
found with the method by which the offals of
the city are disposed of-the system is one ex-
ceedin ly dangerous to the public health.
Inc water supply IS contaminated with
organic matter" =
The memuers OF this board Of which our
felleW citizen, the late Dr. j. q. homas was
the nonored presiding on1cer were evidently
convinced tnat the condition of the undrained
lands around the city was the principal factor
in the causation Of the epidemic since they
give it the first place in considering the sub
ject, So impressed we're they of the neces-
sity Of this drainage as preventive against
yellow fever, that they petitiOned our legisia
ture and succeeded in obtaining an appropria-
ton amounting to so, 632.72, Ito provide for
the drainage OF Chatham county so as to
protect the state from epidemius of yellow
fever and other diseases A drainage com
mission was appointed by Gov. Gordon. and
the work was started in localities nearest
the city and kept up until the amount OBJ
tanned through the legislative Appropriation
was expended the work was then turned
over by the drainaee commission to the com
missiOners OF Chatham county who nobly con
tinued the good work i'm Jroved upon It and
so extended it that in 1888 they had com
pleted thirtyfOur and q half miles OF canals
and drains, the area of lands reclaimed
being 2lOl0 acres, increasing the taxa de
value OF the property from ~. i76 7Si in 1880 to
@,36SH45 in 1888. The death rate also was
greatly reduced as shown by the following
tabulated statement: