The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-12-31
4 WOnal'S View Of Sanitation
in New York.
PRESERVATION OF THE HEALTH
Magnitude of Public WOrk-Ad-
dress of Mrs. John n. Judge.
Million in Tenenn ents.

AT meeting OF the Society for PO-
Htical Study says the New York sun,
at Genealogical Hall, 226 West Fifty
eighth street, Mrs. T. St. John Gaffney
presided, and introduced the speaker
Of the day, Mrs. John H Judge, who
read a paper on the Health Depart
ment
The grandest word in our Ian
Suage," said Mrs. Judge, is our word
health. We may gain riches, but with
out health We have nothing; it is the
golden treasure, once lost, seldom re-
covered The health of the nation is
the health of the individual, and there
fore We have come in this country TO
a realization that each community
must have its Board of Health to reg
ulate ana keep sound the body OF the
individual. The definition of health
which appeals to me as most satisfac-
tory is that It is soundness of the
body; a normal bodily condition Good
health is change; bad health is mo-
nOtOny."
The speaker said that to England we
owe the foundation of the Health De-
partment, and stated that in this coun-
try attention was directed to the mat
ter Of public health in 1850 by print
ed report, written by Samuel Shattuck
of Massachusetts, a layman in which
was set forth details about health and
sanitary conditions and pleading for
the concerted efforts of State Boards
Of Health.
She spoke at length of the Sanitary
Commission, which operated during
the civil war and which was founded
by small body of New York women
in Cooper Union. Mrs. Judge con-
tinued:
When l reflect that in Greater New
York we have $4,000 persons, of
whom about 100000 are native born,
1000 Germans, 10000 Irish, 200. 900
English and Scotch, 10000 Russians
Poles and Austrians. mostly Hebrews,
the question of how TO keep them clean
Staggers me. But not so our Board of
Health, for through its perfectly or
ganiZed plans these people are kept in
check and their general health better
than in their native countries. The
health Of New York is better than that
of any other city in the world. The
most important feature in this city's
growth affecting the Health Depart
ment is the tenement house. There,
at this time live 1000, 900 people who
require and receive careful supervision.
The new conditions arising are met as
they come up. Not many years hence
the people will bless this generation
for the thOughtfulneSs expressed
through our Health Boards.
The next immediate and great re-
form should be in keeping our rivers
and streams free from pollution which
is constantly pouring into them The
smallest stream in the country place is
looked upon as natural sewer and our
country gentlemen have an elaborate
system of pipes and valves in their
homes on the hill slopes, directed into
drain which is laid to the nearest
stream, and so on until the metropolis
is met, and there at the foot of every
few streets is a vent for delivering in
to the waters which surround our city
the sewerage of our houses. The
cities on the Hudson do as we do. Still
we consume the ice which is harvested
III winter from this body of polluted
water Look at New York. our water
{ encircled city. The circles should be
| as pure as they were hundreds Of
| years ago and not the band of dirty,
! dark. polluted liquid such as we see
now Look at the Harlem river. 1t is
a huge sewer. and when the flats are
/ bare at low tide what a sight is pre-
/ scented and what a warning given US.
! The turning of this river into a ship
canal TO be deepened and maue a fast
| flowing body of water will help but not
cure The problem of burning all must
| be solved at once. The first cost
! should not prevent us from doing this
/ at once.
Our Health Department cannot ac-
complish its great work alone Every
citizen must put forth his and her in
| dividual effort to obey the sanitary
! laws Of life and of the board. We mus;
keep our authorities posted on what
we know is for the general good. We
must look TO it that our own household
is in sanitary condition. The Health
Department of this city owes more to
the WomanS Health Protective Assoc
citation than to any other organization
| or body. and it is proud 10 acknOwledg &c
that Indebtedness, and when its mem
I bers appear before that body they re-
+ ceive the closest attention and their
. views are acted upon"
Mrs. Judge concluded with the fol
/ lowing tribute TO Col. Waring:
The Health Protective Association
has had close contact with the Street
! Cleaning Department, a close ally &c
the Health Department, and there We
met the greatest of men, who has late
~ laid down his life in his efforts &c
tell us how to preserve our health and
life We have all read his wonderful
reports on the systems of the world &c
better the cleanliness of our cities and
. marvelled at his keen conception OF
conditions and his mastery OF them
~ TO na n <
Col Waring for its health and wealth
its brightness and comfort, than to any
/ other person; and this society Will no.
let this day pass without its word II
! his honorable memory"
Mrs Judges reference TO Col War.