New-York tribune., 1902-10-19
RTRAL NANITATION.

Several villages in the suburbs of NeWIOrk
have lately had instructive experiences in the
matter of public sanitation. They were in
vaded by smallpox, and, not having even the
disgracefully inadequate provisions which this
city has for the care of those suffering from
that disease, they were much put 10 il for tenn
porary makeshifts. In one village there was a
strong demand which the authorities found ii
not easy 10 resist. that the patients be sent TO
the county pOorhOuse in that township. regard
less of the danger of cOntagion 10 the numer-
ous and helpless inmates of that institution.
AT last hospital tents were placed on bit OF
waste land. for which afterward the owner de-
manded rental scarcely less than its full
value When the various bills for necessary
expenses in connection with the pestience
came In there was a considerable movement
toward repudating them ana resisting payment
in the courts In another nearby village bills
We're presented which were grossly extortion-
ate. In all the communities affected senseleSs
brute panics prevailed among many of the peO-
pie comparable with those of the Dark Ages.
These incidents and circumstances suggest
the desirability of establishing more enlightened
and efficient systems OF sanitary control in vii
lagos and rural districts. There is just much
need of il there in the great cities. city
health board is usually competent to deal with
an epidemic, but we can scarcely say SO much
for the average rural authorities even where
any exist Nor is there such need only in the
comparatively rare cases of smallpox and other
epidemicS. There are other deadly ills which
are always with us. which rage with greater
vlrulence IN country than in city, Just because
the former lacks the strict sanitary control
that prevails in the latter. Diphtherla for ex-
ample claims more victims in rural than in
urban communities. and so does typhoid. The
marked increase ia the number of typhoid cases
in this city every fall is largely attributable 10
the fact that AT that season people are return
ing from the country and are bringing with
them the germs of the disease, which they have
acquired in the country, but which are not de-
vcloped until they reach the city.
This lesson was long ago learned in England
through sore experience, aud has been acted
upon proftably. with the result that that coun-
Try has probably the best rural sanitation in
the world. In the United States there is vast
variety of practice In about twenty States
there are county boards of health which have
oversight of rural sanitation. hut as a rule are
not efficient. partly because the county is too
large a unit for a single board 10 deal with and
nartlv because the boards are politically rather
than professionally constituted. In dozen or
more States there are township boards which
would be efficient if they were properly con
stituted and vested with adequate authority.
In two States there are neither county nor
township boards. but State sanitary agents in
each county Perhaps the most serious trouble
is that in most cases where township health
boards exist the members of the boards hold
their places ex officio. They are justices OF the
peace, town clerks what not. and they are
put into the health board because they hold
these other offices and not because of any
special fitness for sanitary work. In one
State which has a single health officer for each
county il is by some incOmprehensible faulty
required that such officer shall be lawyer.
IL in every county of every State there were one
health officer. and he not law
yer or a politician. but trained sanitarian. and
in every township deputy under him. also
sanitsrian, and If these were sufficiently paid
TO enable them 10 attend 10 their duties, and
We're invested with sufficient police power 70
enable them 10 enforce the law. we should
doubtless have far more satisfactory state Of
health than at present. We should have fewer
outbreaks Of typhoid and scarlet fever from
contaminated village wells and unclean farm
dsiries; and the system would cost the public |
probably not one-tenth as much do the un-
necessary funerals which are now due 10 de- |
fective sanitation.