The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1895-06-27
Health officer frank Gives Valuable Ad-
vice for the Summer Months.
FILTH MUST Be VIGOROUSLY FOUGHT
He Furnishes the Formula for Sew.
erai seiusisns 10 Ala I'm keeping
Away Disease During she Heated
Season.

lent communication for the guidance OF
citizens in maintaining health during the
trying period embraced by the summer
months:
One Of the most important features OF
q city is good sanitary conditions. This
fact was recognized by the ancient
Greeks and Romans, though their knowl-
edge of the causes of disease was very
vague. In fact II has been within the
last fifty, and 1 may safely say thirty
years, that the true causes of the various
mslsdies affecting mankind have been
discovered and demonstrated. The re-
cent developments in histology and bac-
teriology have proven God-send to the
world at large. The public press has for
several years past been an important fac
tor in the distribution of knowledge per-
tanning to the germ theory of disease; so
that to-day medical advancements are
the property of every individual who
reads, and is no longer confined to the
pages Of restricted journals and text
books.
At certain periods Of the year the peo-
pie OF some localities are stricken down
with infectious disease; and the question
naturally arises, what is the cause? For
example, the typhoid fever, the throat
trouble in the form Of tonsilitis, the So
called hay fever and malarial miasma.
All these and many more have origin in
the decomposition of animal and veget-
able matter; and they are introduced
into our systems by the air we breathe,
the water we drink and the substance we
eat. These germs of disease have great
power to resist the action Of things used
for their destruction; they hold tena-
ciously to life; so that when they once
invade and take effect in the system it is
ofttimes impossible to even retard their
action, much less destroy them. It is
obvious, then, that the adage can ounce
of prevention ia better than pound of
cure" holds good. Now we have seen
that these diseases have their source in
the offal, the impure water, the bad air,
etc., in our large cities; and therefore II
we find ways and means of conveying
them SO that the noxious gases and NOR
bid substances cannot reach the system,
we prevent their effect.
Every residence is, so far as this sub
iect is concerned, q city. Let the dwell
lers in every house see that the garbage
barrel is at least fifty feet from the house,
and that it is never allowed to become
full; and in case of sickness in the house
let all of the discharges be disinfected
Immediately. Keep the air pure in the
house by free ventilation. See that ev-
cry sink and closet in the city is fur
nished with trap. Have every house i'm
the city connected with the main sewer
If possible, and when the plumbing is
defective compel the owner to remedy the
defect Immediately.
Sanitary plumbing has reached such a
high degree of perfection that shall not
say more about it.
AhC tuAhthk UP VI now sui 40 uuuOubt-
eddy cause of infectious disease. The
decomposed vegetable matter in the soil
is the cause Of its fertility. Fertile in
the production of fruit and other eatables
and fertile in the production OF disease.
Though to what degree in the latter case
| am not prepared to say.l
DrsfNFEcTASTs.
The object Of disinfection, as before
stated, is to prevent the extension OF in
fictitious diseases by destroying the spe-
cifc infectious material which gives rise
to them. This is accomplished by the
use of disinfectants.
The best disinfectants are sunlight,
fresh air. soap and water, thorough
cleanllness-for general purposes.
For special purposes the following are
the most efficient, the simplest and the
cheapest;
Copperas isinfectant-Sulphate ofiron
tcopperas), IL lbs. water, gallon. A
convenient way to prepare this is to sus-
pend basket containing about 60 lbs. Of
copperas in barrel OF water. The solu-
ton should be frequently and literally
used in cellars. privies, water-closets,
cutters, sewers, cesspools, yards, stables,
etc.
| Sulphur disinfectant--Roll sulphur
| (brimstone), 2 lbs. to q room ten feet
square. and in the same proportion for
larger rooms.
Zinc Observation-Disclosures of zinc
white vitrioD, Ia lbs. common salt,
Il h.. water, gallons.
Thymol water--Made by adding one
Tablespoonful spirits of thymol to half
gallon OF water. Spirits of thymol Is
composed Of: Thymol, OF. alcohol,
So per cent, 3 ozs.
| Chloride Of lime Chlo.
ride of lime, best quality, 4 ozs. water,
gallon. Use one quart Of this solution
for the disinfeetion of each discharge.
Mix well before throwing in closet oil
privy vault.
Corrosive sublimate Cor
rosive sublimate and permsngenate oil
potash, drachms; water, gallon. Use
for same purpose as preceding.
Corrosive sublimate, 4 ozs. sulphate
OF copper. h.; water. gallon. Use
ounces of this solution to gallon Of wa
! | A.