Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-10-08
per on public Hygiene and Santa

paper on public Hygiene and Santa
ton"
"a late writer on hygiene has given
aims to make growth more perfect,
life more vigorous, decay less rapid,
death more remote. Hence hygiene
treats of the laws of health: of all
those means which tend to preserve
the body in healthy condition, as
well as those which tend to improve
the general health. 1t embraces a
knowledge of the factors and condl-
tons which bring about i'll health and
diseases, as well as knowledge OIL
the best means of preventing disease,
and of the measures which tend TO
fortify and improve the organism
SANITARY science refers to the in
vestigation of the causes of disease
and the means of avoiding or destroy
ing them. 1t is not specific depart
ment or separate branch of science,
but is implied, in part, in a number
of sciences, as chemistry, biology,
physics, pathology, statistics, etc.
Hysienes Departments.
"Hygiene may be sugdivided into
the following departments: public or
general; military; naval; personal;
municipal; school, industrial hygiene.
Public hygiene takes cognizance OF
factors which affect the general pub
lie, such as nuisances Of different
kinds; foul odors, noxious gases or
dust evolved in certain manufactur-
ing processes, and loud noises. MUS
ances are generally such conditions
which aggravate existing disease rath-
er than produce disease.
IT would also add to public hygiene
,o1o %iror 10 tow q n
milk supply, sewage and garbage dis
posal.
1.-THE scope Of public hygiene and
sanitation Is SO large and varied that
1t would almost be impossible to touch
on all subjects pertaining to them.
Therefore I shall not attempt to go
into detail very much but simply bring
to your mind some Of the problems
that confront US as health officers.
ITO most of the health officers, es-
pecially in small towns the work corr
sists In inspecting and writing a no.
tice Of abatement Of some nuisance,
such as manure piles, or garbage ac-
emulation. Their work usually ends
there. Some officers may not even
have that much work to do. In ny
correspondence to the various health
officers or some that have seen per-
sonally have been Informed that they
were supposed to be the health off,
GERS of towns from one to two chou
sand Inhabitants but that they had to
work to do and the board OF health
gave them from fifteen to twenty-five
dollars a year as their salary. TO
most of these the scope of public hy-
giene was very limited
"The trouble think lies In that we
have not asserted the Importance of
our work The public and many
boards of health do not realize the
4 i ~ L. I. y,
| officer Many communities come to
grief by an epidemic of disease which
could probably have been averted by
prompt work of the department Of
health.
Several Iowa cities suffered from
epidemics notable typhoid fever in the
past few years. These cases only
show that our modern convenience.s
often lead to disease and that analysis
Of the water should be made at fire.
quent or at least stated intervals. Ev-
cry city and town can have it's water
supply tested at comparatively small
cost. 1t will not be very long ere oul
legislature with additional appropria-
lions for the state bacteriologica
municipalities to have the water anal,
yzed free of charge except the trans
portation charges.
Water Analysis.
eff our local boards of health would
comply with DR.. Kennedy's request t.
send samples of water supply used fol
domestic purposes to the chemist O
the state board of health many wa
ter supply might be found unwhole
some, dangerous, or suspicious. I
this is not done an account of water
4 analysis by some competent person
should be sent to the secretary, DR.
hn cta tn rE Of
may know what cities have taken pre-
cautions to protect its inhabitants. II
Iowa City we had our water analyZe'
last winter during the coolest wealth
er. People left the water running da.
and night to prevent freezing of pipe
thus overtaxing the supply Of filtere
water and necessitating the runnin
Of river water into the mains. Exam
nations revealed the water unfit 70
domestic use, unless boiled or filtered
Later on, second examination wa
made and the water found improve
sufficiently to dispense with boiling
In our case there was no trouble ex
listing between the city and waite
company and the matter was quick
settled, where antagonism exist harsh
er methods have to be employed
furnish pure water to the city a
some of the health officers will testif.
Milk Supply.
"Of recent years the dairy men hay
discovered a remedy to keep their mil
sweet during the hot weather. Pre-
servatives are used, the most commo
ones being formalin. This prepare
ton Is sold at drug stores in varior
ways and often proclaimed by ur
scrpulous manufactures as Harmless
That formalin in any quantity
harmful is needless to tell you. Ever
physician is aware Of that. In citie
over ten thousand Inhabitants a mil
inspector can be appointed. In place
of less than ten thousand no such Pre-
vision is made. However, there Is
remedy at hand. Write to the Sta
Dairy Commissioner who will after
to the matter. We had great mar
samples examined during the SUNNI
by a University chemist after beir
authorized to do so by the state dali
commissioner. Before we appealed
the commissioner one of the Unive
sity chemists claimed he found form;
Il lin in some milk. The dairymen we
n then warned that milk would be a
alyzed at any time without furth
q notice The result was we have h;
II pure milk in our city all summer,