The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-07-16
CLEAN THE CITY LETTERS.
A Physician Tells of Conditions Here
and in the BrazOs Bottoms.

10 the Edltor OF The Post.
Houston, Texas, July 15.-The disastrous
floods throughout the Brazos valley which
have caused SO much loss of property and
SO much suffering among the poorer resi-
dents has passed it's crisis, but as the
waters recede it exposes vast quantities of
decaying vegetation and myrlads of dead
animals whose decompOsing bodies add
new horrors to the situation, promising
much disease as the result Of their de-
composition in conjunction with that of
the decaying vegetation and giving new
and potent danger by the immense multi
plication of flies, bred In these dccomposing
bodies
These flies are one Of the greatest known
carriers OF diseases and have been credited
with communicating the Charlton from ami
mails to human beings. BY them typhoid
fever, smallpox and other diseases are said
TO have been communicated from one per-
son to another. hence 1t is evident that
something should be done to combat this
danger as much as possible, and l would
suggest that the idle negroes along the
Brazos river could be profitably used in
the next few days by sending them in
small squads to cover the whole territory
as the water recedes and bury the carcasses
of all dead animals adjacent to habitations
along the river and thus minimize the
the river bottoms.
Along the railroad embellishments, where
dead animals are most numerous, and
where the stencil from their decomposition
would give great annoyance, In addition
to burying them, It would be an easy mat
ter TO further nullify the evil by putting
lime over the carcasses before covering
them. This looks like a big undertaking,
but the idle labor that must be fed can do
Ii nil al
in condition to be worked, and unless
something is done these dead animals will
add mora sickness to that region. which at
best VIII have enough 20 hear this summer
There has been no period In the history
oil this section OF the country in which
sanitary measures should be more rgidly
enforced than a. the prescn. time. This
summer should be regarded as the crucial
Time In the coast country and particularly
In our city, where every effort should be
made not only by the city authorities. but
by every individual citizen. to make tho
sanitary condition OF our city such that
contagion could find no resting place here.
Cleanliness is the greatest barrier to con-
tagious diseases and II should be the aim
OF the citizens individually and collectively
to clean up this city.
Not only should tho city health depart
ment lend every energy to this essential
TASK put every man should aid by thor |
oughly cleaning UP his own premises and
keep It clean till the frosts of winter come
to finish up the good work. Tho recent
heavy rains have flushed the bayou and
removed much of the deadly decaying mat
ter therefrom, but the same rains furnish
The requisite conditions for the decay of all |
The vegetable and animal matter that finds
resting places about the alleys, back yards
and vacant lots that should have the Inn
mediate attention OF tho health cepart-
ment and tho individual citizen.
Let us all pull together aud make and
Keep this the clcanest city in Texas.