The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1901-05-10

paper the danger there may be in a
neglected we'll. Yet how many of the
wells at country school houses are not
neglected? Who looks after them?
Who sees TO it that they are good wells
at the beginning, fed by an under
ground flow. that they are protected
from surface water and from contami
nation, that the platform is tight; and
that the pump is occasionally used
during vacation, to agitate the air in
the well? Are you sure that the we'll
at the school house in your district con-
tains wholesome water? Do you know
that there are no decaying animals in
that well? Do you knew that it is
protected from surface water? Doyou
know that the pump is in good condi-
tionl Ifyou don't know, don't you
r oally think 1Lat you ought to fird GU
at once?
One of the things about the country
school house that is often neglected is
the drainage. Here, again, it is only
necessary to call the attention of the
readers Of this paper to the matter.
Intelligent people know the Importance
Of good drainage about school house
as we'll as about a dwelling house.
The school house should always be put
on high grourd-on the edge ola sharp
slope, if possible, and all the outhouses
be put lower down on the slope, Of
course. | know of several school
houses that are on lower ground than
the privies; and these last named have
not water tight vaults, but only holes
dug in the ground. This is certainly
a bad arrangement. Sometimes what
is apparently a trivial thing may have
serious effect on the health of pupils.
l know of one school house that had a
sink in one corner, the waste pipe lead
ing down through the floor and termi-
mating underneath, instead of being
brought outside the foundation of the
house. AS a result, all the water from
the sink, where the children washed
their hands, ETC., was left under the
house. There was an unusual amount
of sickness among the pupils Of this
school. 1t was observed that the
foundation of the building at the cor
ner, where was located the sink, was
giving away. Investigation revealed
the cause.-the water from the sink
kept the ground wet and soft. There
fore the defective foundation was torn
out, the ground allowed to dry, the
foundation was replaced, and the waste
pipe was brought out through the
foundation and extended several yards
beyond it. And then there was SO
much less sickness among the pupils
GllI IL WIS OUSclNc aluioSG aI olCS'
OF course the school authorities in
your district are not guilty of having
a waste pipe terminate under the
school room floor; but are YOU sure
that some other condition almost as
unhealthful does not exist? Lastly
the privies. Have they water-tight
vaults - preferably bricked and
cemented-or are the vaults only holes
in the ground, or not even that-the
deposits accommodating on the surface
of the ground, except as they are
washed away! The true condition o
the privies at some school houses can
not be put in print; and this condition
is not due to any fault or indeccncy on
the part Of the pupils, but tc the con
struction and character of the privies
themselves. Such privies are con
tinual menace to the health Of the pu
pills. Do you know the character and
the condition of the privies at the
school house in your district?
"What is everybody's business is
nobody's business" 1t does not seem
to be understood as any part of the
duties of school directors or trustees tc
look after the sanitary condition o1
school buildings and yards. In most
cases it is supposed that they have
hired a teacher and have provided fueI
for the winter. But they ought to
look after sanitary conditions; and SC
ought every parent who sends children
to the school. If you have not inves
tigated the sanitary conditions Of the
house and grounds in your school dis
trict, can you safely longer delay doing
so?-John ". Stah1, IN Country Cen
| Heman.
1 =