The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-10-14
Z
a VIZ I'll RAlYAGES
OF DREAD I TYPHOID.
Slow Filtration Best Plan for Pure
Water.
DANGER, TOO, IN ov5REATlnG.
Patient in Poor Physical Condition to
Withstand Attacks of Disease.
Anti Alcoh ol
Teaching.

a Philadelphia physician brought out
the interesting fact that in the last twelve
years there were in Philadelphia over
IS, 900 typhoid cases, with a mortality
exceeding 6,G10. At a valuation at S2,t"
per life the loss in money was equal to
over S12,Oo0O00, not to mention the loss OF
earning capacity during the illness OF the
32,000 citizens who recovered. Having
given a summary of the present state
of our knowledge regarding typhoid fever.
the author concludes by stating that 1.-The
slow filtration plant, properly managed,
is a close imitation of Natures method,
but that the turbd water must first be
pumped into settling basins to get rid
of the coarser dirt, and then, after pass
ing through the filter must be subjected
to continual and repeated chemical and
meteorological examinations
OVEREATING.
Half the people we know have violent
attacks of indigestion because they Will
persist in eating hearty meals when IN
an exhausted condition. They seem never
willing or able to realize that there are
times when the system is in no fit state
TO grapple with Il full meal They come
in tired and hungry, almost ravenous, not
thinking that maybe q good deal OF what
they consider hunger is gastric irritation;
then sit down to a table covered with
the substantials of life, and deliberately
go to work and overtaX the already over
strained vital powers. No person shoulo
ever eat heartily when very tired. The
.wisest thing to do is to drink a cup Of
hot water with three teaspoonfuls OF mix
in it, sit down for five minutes, and then
begin slowly to eat, masticating thor
oughly In a. little while the vlgor OF
the stomach will come back. end all VIII
be well. Not one case of dyspepsia
should exist where now there are dozen:
1t seems. to be the most difficult of all
things to properly control the appetite,
which appears to be the master. II
requires will power to get it under control.
When once mastered something important
has been accomplished in self-dascipllnc.
ANTT-ALCOHOL TEACHING.
It is a fact that in the so-called physl-
ology textbooks used in public schools
error upon error abounds. due more pro-
baby to inadvertence than Ignorance
But in the sections upon alcohol errors
of commission are most plentiful: and
in the too frantic endeavor to impress
the horrors OF that agent the authors
imaginations run riot, picturins conditions
that have never happened, nor ever will
happen.
The School Superintendent OF Cincin-
natl has forbidden the use of colored
pictures showing 10 a greatly exaggerated
degree the effect of alcohol upon the
mucous membrane Oh tilc StpilidCIi tiiiSA
upon other organs. He says the pictures
are unaesthetic, and fill the minds of
children with unpleasant impressions, and
give them false notions which will react
llarmfully upon them in the future lie
favors inpressinG upon the pupils the
benefits of temperate eating and drinking,
and not dwelling upon the horrors OF an
Incorporate use of alcohol He says he
lis in favor of giving instruction in hysi-
ri nd
that The city health department issue cir
culars and papers which shall be used as
the teachers see fit. These will show
how contagious are TO be prevented, and,
in general, give pupils an idea OF how
best to preserve their health. All of
which is as applicable to Richmond as to
Cincinnati.
MEDICAL INSPECTION OF SCHOOLS.
The London School Board has recently
had under its consideration a proposal
for adopting a preventive visitation OF
schools in two of its districts. by the
appointment for that purpose of two med
zeal men and six nurses the salaries of
the former to be $3.50 and the latter ESQ
per annum A medical journal. in dis
cussing public health affairs, says:
What the ultimate decision Of the board
will be it is, at present. impossible to say:
but as to urgent necessity for carrying
out the proposal there can be no doubt
whatever. The evidence as 20 the Influence
exercised by schools in disseminating and
extending infectious disease is too over
whelming to be for a moment disputed.
More than once in these columns we have
urged that power should be given to med
ical officers of health to inspect all and
every school-private or otherwise-within
his district: and we are convinced that
were such a course adopted there would
be a great diminution of infectious disease
and of mortality from the same.
Preventive visitation of schools has
already been carried out in New York,
Berlin, Brussels, Chicago Leips;c. aud
many other towns: and if the London
School Board are unable to carry through
this much-needed reform it should be at
once taken up by the Local Government
Board and the sanitary authorities. in
conjunction with the London School
Board, and arrangements made without
delay. SANIIAS.