The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-06

vations in regard to the agency of flies in
spreading disease. It required but little
patience and skin to obtain cultures Of ba-
clli of varied sorts from fly tracks ana
from the excrement of files. Where no pre-
cautions are taken against the invasion of
flies, and where no disinfectants are used
upon such material, there is invariably
more or less extension of these diseases.
Thus In the suburbs of large cities ty-
phoid fever Is apt to be common and this
is usually ascribed TO bad drinking water,
whereas in many instances ID Is really due
to shallow water closets which the lies
frequent and from which they spread In
lection into every dining room and pam
try near by. This is the explanation that
has been found to be undoubtedly correct
in several small local epidemics which the
writer has witnessed.
Thus in the case Of an outbreak of dysen-
terry of a very malignant type with forty
cases and ten deaths II was noted that
the disease extended from house 10 house
radiating from a single center without ref
erence to water supply or anything else In
common. This epidemic which was strict
~ localized In a single neighborhood ceas-
ed as If by magic when large quantities
of disinfectants were thrown into the clos
cts, and those having the disease were d.
rected to keep solutions strong enough TO
Kill bacteria Of every sort constantly In the
commodes In use in the houses. This being
DONE II did not make any difference how
numerous the flies were, there being moth
ing any longer capable of producing dis
ease for them TO load themselves with and
distribute In such manner as eventually to
be taken into human stomachs
There is no doubt wha tever," continued
DR.. Veeder, that camp feyers and dyses1
terry become most deadly in this very way
Water from swamps or shallow wells in
aIuvial soil may originate diseases of q
malarial type, but these, as a rule, are
not very fatal. On the other hand, the
sickness that kills comes from the trenches
behind the camp reeking with filth borne
on insect wings. Ii requires but little
commingling of typhoid or dysenteric ma
ter1al to produce an epidemic under sucn
conditions. Soldiers selected for their phvs,
zeal hardwood, living in the open air and
having plenty to eat and even the very
best Of water, develop diseases of this
type out of all proportions to their preva-
lence in the rest of the community. and
that, too, in localities previously free from
anything of the sort. This is commonly
ascribed to the hardships they endure.
w hereas those same men In an isolated
lumber camp, for example, would endure
tenfold the privations and exposure to cold
and wet and not only would not get sick.
but would become more hearty and rugged
every day. Nor can the sickness among
soldiers be accounted for by dissipation.
LOT tney are under greater restraints In
this regard than are possible in civil life.
Ana yet they, the flower and pick of the
country, sicken and die far more being
| killed by disease, as a rule, than by the
bullets of the enemy. With practically
Unlimited resources of men and means
such as are to be had In armies, there is
no reason why such material as that on
which flies fatten should not be so thor
oughly disposed of as to be made innoeu-
Gus as well as inaccessible. 1t is only
question of a few gallons more or less
of disinfectants daily and a little extra
care in the disposal of excreta"
DIR. Veeder also described in detail n
process he has invented for the reduc-
ton OF garbage by steam. The process.
he says, yields distilled water, clean
greases and a dry residue, containing not
only the solids obtained directly from tho
garbage but also everything filtered out
from its watery portions There is no
handling of the material or cooling and re-
heating. the process being in every way
economical as well as Clearly. Only faint.
sweetish doors are given off, not more OBJ
jectionable than those from a malt house
or brewery and not so abundant The
chief point is to nave the garbage collect
ed and worked up when as fresh as possl-
bic. so as TO avoid the smells that would
arise from fermentation before the Begin
ming Of the process