The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-02
CREMATION is THE BEST
STATE HEALTH BOARD CALLS At
TENTION TO CEMETERY DANGERS.
SDlenetic Fever in Floyd County
Caused by Infected Grass-SOme
Bakery Conditions.

The forthcoming report of the State Board
of Health will take issue with the present
system of burying the dead in cemeteries
as at present practiced. DR.. Hurry has been
giving the matter his personal attention for
some time, and after making exhaustive
studies of various authorities has arrived
at the conclusion that disease is spread
throughout communities to an extent I'M
thought of by the graveyards in them.
Modern science, according to DR.. Hurry
has demonstrated that it is the small things
which cause the most malignant diseases,
and scientific research has demonstrated
that diseases, the origin of which has been
matter of mystery, can now be directly
traced to mother earth. 1t has been popu-
larly supposed the earth was a great dis
injector, but lately this has been shown to
be wrong. A few weeks ago splenetic fever
made it's appearance among the cattle in
Floyd county. Before it was finally stamped
out nearly all the COWS in the county had to
be killed and burned, and the grazing
grounds saturated with kerosene and
burned. In hunting the origin of this dis
ease 1t was found the cattle became in
fected by eating grass which was saturated
with the bacili Of the disease, which came
into 1t from the ground In discussing the
desirabilfty of cremation over the old
method of burial, the report says:
Cremation of the Dead Absolutely Essen
tial-Scientific search into the cauSeS-of dis
ease bring many surprises. Disease is so
lnSld1OuS at times seeming to spring Spon-
taneously from nowhere, that 1T is no WON
der the ignorant and superstitious attribute
1t to inScrutable Providence to the evil
one. Exhaustive scientific study now dis
closes that earth worms sometimes bring to
the surface from dead bodies buried in the
earth. germs of consumption typhoid fever
lockjaW yellow fever splene fever etc. As
1t is absolutely impossible to prevent final
ly, the return of the elements of body to
nature, why not reap the advantages of
cremation to the living by returning the
power, by the way even when false-only
stands in the way"
CLEANLINESS IN BAKERIES.
The State Board of Health will shortly
issue a bulletin advising more cleanliness
on the part of bakers in the making and
handling of bread. DR.. Hurry, after watch
ing the operations of bakers in this city,
has submitted the following report:
"a bread wagon was lately seen upon the
streets of Indianapolis packed full of bread.
There was no protection against the dust of
the street which the wind of the approach
ing storm whirled against it. But worse
than this, the stack of loaves Immediately
behind the wagon seat served as a rest for
the sweaty backs of the coatless driver and
his assistant. Certainly there is nothing
savory about bread coated with street dust
held to it by human sweat:
I'VE suggest it would be welcomed by
the people if each loaf as it comes hot from
the oven were placed in a paper sack being
handled with wooden longs Bread thus
protected would not only escape the filth
as above described, but would also be kept
saliva which the grocery man puts upon his
thumb to raise the wrapping paper.