Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1897-03-13
cleanup, NJ
Demanded for Public Health.
Look After Streets, Alleys, Yards,
and Easements.

plhNCs OuC puOllC 10 uldhlDR du6-
mand for cleaning up Salem's streets
and alleys, it might be just as well to
go a little further. We are all inter-
ested 10 keeping up the best state Of
health possible in our midst, and pro-
noting the conditions leading up to
that.
Now let us look into some back
yards, Here we find the remains Of
wood piles as old as the first inhabit-
ants, garbage from the kitchen, in
Guiding animal and vegetable matter,
and a great variety 0 ffoul accumula-
tions which during our wet winters,
as we'll as in warm weather breed un-
%healthful gases and odors. Go in
side some houses, and you find things
no better. Some have air-tight found
ations, with no circulation under
them, thus causing decay to set in and
making the houses themselves q men,
ace to good health. Many who use
their easements for wood-houses leave
chips, bark and refuse wood there for
years, to tester and pour foul air up
through their floors. Above the floors
in many instances the conditions are
not much better. Frequently clothes
closets are made the re~ceptacles of all
tue old shoes. dirty clothes and rub
bish, to be kept out of sight. Then
these places are kept closed up until
the air in them becomes foul, only to
be let into the living rooms at regular
intervals.
An undertaken tells of being called
to a home which had been bereaved.
Here he found several neighbor women
very kindly clearing up the room in
which the corpse lay. He states that
fully half a bushel Of Int and dirt
were swept up, the bed evidently not
having been swept under for a year.
Two hours scrubbing YER necessary to
make the n small room presentable.
Such sanitary conditions Of houses
and their surroundings are terrible to
contemplate. and much more common
than many would think, especially 10
rented houses. A health officer with
instructions to visit every house and
surroundings, with authority to have
things put in proper shape, would no
doubt save many precious lives in any
community. Even with only advisory
power such an officer could awaken
many to the necessity of cleaner ways
OF Lying. No doubt many a sick per-
son who takes such precautions as
boiling water, dieting, ETC.. could find
the real cause of his trouble by look
ing around him, employing better
methods of sanitation, ventilation,
cleanliness, etc.
A little more horse sense in regard
to u surroundings, and less covering
up of our sins is what is
needed. The following couplets
from the American Grocer are
pertinent at this time:
We have boiled the hydrant water,
We have sterilized the milk.
We have strained the providing
microbe,
Through the finest kind of silk.
We have bought and we have bor-
rowed
Every patent health device,
And at last the doctor tells US
That we've got to boil the ice.
THE CUTY's HEALTH.
The health of our city is now being
most extensively discussed in the pub
lie print. 1t is a matter of prudence
and forethought to look at the entire
subject in a business way and have
the condition of things set forth cor
Wherever improvements can
be made they should be made imme-
diately, and done speedily, and with
out any unjust criticism or fault find
ing on either side.
1t is a fact known to any one that
Western Oregon andWashington have
been afflicted this winter with mala-
rial fever to a considerable extent, in
fact the grip has extended over the
country almost to the degree
Of an epidemic. 1t is also a fact which
can be established by the report of yhe
physicians that there has been less
sickness in Salem than in the sur
rounding country.
WHY LEGISLATORS SUFFER.
1t is an evident fact to any one that
the Legislators are at a disadvantage
when they come here especially in re
gard to health. At home their system
is adapted to the drinking water which
they haye,and it is mostly hard spring
or well water containing a considera-
able proportion of lime. They are ac-
custOmed to regular diet and regular
exercise and they come TO the city,
drink soft water, their hours are
irregular, being in attendance at com
mittee meetings, caucus meetings, and
there is no wonder their health is con-
siderably affected, the only wonder is