Evening star., 1901-02-02
PROMOTES GOOD PAvEMENTs.
The Motor Car Tends to Improve the
Public Health.
From the HOspital.

From the Hospital.
IF, as we believe to be the case, the mo-
tor car has a great future before 1T the
whole question of the pavement of our
streets will have to be reconsidered. Re-
gard for the horse has hitherto dominated
the whole question of roadways. Obviously
the smoother and the harder the surface OF
a road the less will be the power required
to move wheeled vehicles upon 1t. But un-
fortunately the harder and the smoother
the surface of the, road the more diff ult
1t is for the horse to obtain a foothold.
Hence the objections often raised to the
use Of asphalt, notwithstanding that 1t is
in itself an almost ideal material from
which to construct road surface. 1t Is hard,
1t is smooth, 1t is durable it is capable of
being repaired bit by bit without tearing
up the whole roadway, and, above all, 1t
can be kept clean But the horses slip and
this has been fatal obstacle.
With the Introduction of the motor, how
ever the conditions may be altered, and If
we consider the immense advantages which
asphalt possesses from a sanitary point of
view and the economy in motive power
which must result from its smoothness we
may be quite sure that in proportion as the
horse becomes non-eSSential the use of as
phalt or some similar smooth and cleanly
road surface will come more and more into
vogue in all towns where the gradients al
low OF ltS emplOylnent. II Is IQe sanitary
aspect of asphalt pavement which especial
ly appeals to us. So far 1t seems to be
the only form of road surface which is
capable of being kept decently clean, and
this is a matter of the first Importance. 1t
Is not u mere question of taste and esthet-
les.
If we are to accept the conclusions ar
rived at by DIR. Waldo. medical officer OF
health to the Parish of St. George the Mar
tyr-conclusfonS arrived at after very care
full investigation of the facts-a very con-
siderable proportion of the mortality from
diarrhoea, one of the most fatal of diseases
among town children, is due to the pollu-
ton Of milk and other articles of food
with street dust. highly charged with dele
terious micro organisms. Filthy street
dust we must always have with US, unless
we have streets that we can wash. 1t IS
probably to the facility with which asphalt
can be washed that we must look for the
explanation of the largely diminished death
rates which have been noted in certain
towns after the Introduction of this ma
terial as a paving.
1t is claimed that in New York the death
rate has gone down from 3S 81 per l 600 in
1852 to 26 per 900 in 1896, when the clean
er streets due to the large extension of as
phalt pavement, had begun to show their
influence upon the health of the popuIa-
ton, and, although we hardly doubt
that the introduction of asphalt was. in
this case only one item in a general i'm
provement in sanitary conditions, the bene-
fits which have already resulted in London.
in Paris and in many other large towns
from the use of asphalt in courts and al
leyS have been such as to show how great
would be the advantage of its more extend
ed use. Not until all our streets are pro-
vided with a hard. smooth surface which
can be thoroughly cleanSed shall we even
begin to see what town life might be made.
1t is to the motor car that we must look to
bring this much-needed reform within the
range of practical politics.