The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-11-24
CAR SANITATION

Probably about everybody who has
given any thought to the matter has
wondered why the railroad companies
adhere so strenuously to plush for up
holstering the seats OF their passenger
cars. The plush seats are always
stuffy and filled with dust, and to most
persons they become tiresome and dis
agreeable after an hour or so. Aside
from this layman's point of view. nv
gienic experts say the plush covered
seats are a menace to heath that
should not be permitted. And they
say, further, that not only should
plush upholstering be made to go and
stand not upon the order of its going,
but that carpets. draperies and every
thing else of an absorbent nature in
the car that can be dispensed with
should be thrown out at the same
time. There should be no fancy grills
and grooves and fittings in the or
namentation of the car, nor should it
be ventilated through Slated blinds.
All of these things catch dust and dirt.
which in turn catch and distribute
the porter, as he passes through the
car vigorously whisking the dust about
and filling the air with floating par
tieles which may bear consumption,
diphtheria and like diseases, should be
prohibited, except when the car is In
the yard and in process of cleaning.
The porter never whisks except when
he has hope of a tip, but when there
is a reasonable expectation of thar
! gratuity he will fill the atmosphere
with dust in a minute
The American Public Health Asso-
citation has recently mailed to the re-
sponsible officials of all the important
| railroads a valuable pamphlet on car
sanitation, in which 1t is explained fully
why it is SO desirable to have clean
and sanitary cars, and pointed out
what reforms are most urgently need
ed. Through trains should be provided
with sick rooms for the use of persons
suffering with contagious disease. The
interior of cars should be finished with
plain, smooth, polished surfaces. Ev-
erything that will catch dust should
be dispensed with II possible. The ven
tilation should be such as will give L.
600 cubic feet of fresh air per hour
for every seat. Apparatus should be
provided to regulate the temperature
and prevent violent fluctuations be-
tween heat and cold. Car-cleanine
should be often and thorough. All
busting while the car is in use should
be by means of a damp cloth. Brush
ing clothing, carpets or seats with a
whisk broom or feather buster should
be absolutely prohibited. Floors should
be disinfected and all cloth furnish
ings sterilized at short intervals. Every
means possible should be taken to
prevent the fouling of cars by spit
ting. A very dangerous practice is
that of scattering excreta over the
road-bed. to become dust and return
into the cars in that form and be
breathed by passengers. The public
should be educated to the use of in
dividual drinking cups on trains. Wa
ter tanks should be supplied only with
water and ice known to be pure, and
should be frequently cleaned and
| scalueu. lneSe are the SUBJECTS treat
ed in the pamphlet That they are OF
greatest Importance must be at once
| apparent.
Car sanitation means car cleanliness.
The trend OF modern pathology is to-
wards the microbic or zymotic origin
OF all contagious disease-the dust or
dirt origin, as the pamphlet says IL
may be calied-"the invisible but dan
gerous dust in air, on clothing and
furnishings, In water and In food I"
Car sanitation has for It's object the
minimizing Of the danger from these
invisible enemies Of health.
A recent remark of Tom" Law
son. the Boston Spectator. Anyone
can make money in Wall etreef-by
Az