Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-28
EFFECTS OF DUST.
One of the Insanitary Features Of City
life
From the Philadelphia Ledger.

From the Philadelphia Ledger.
A great many persons, returning to Phil
adelphia at this season after summer
passed in pure and invigorating air. have
been more or less violently attacked with
the symptoms generally recognized as
those of a cold" There is catarrhal in
fiammation Of the mucous membranes Of
all the air passages, sore throat, cough
sometimes a pronounced bronchitis. No
doubt many persons did take cold" to use
the convenient Expression, in the recent
sudden change Of temperature, for which
they were unprepared, but the prevalent
condition referred to is clearly Independent
of this. 1t Is to be explained by irritation
from the dust and soot-laden atmosphere.
There can be no question that some Of
our modern municipal improvements, even
where they have been of general sanitary
advantage, have also some sanitary draw
backs. Take the smooth pavements as an
example. In large sense they have made
the city clean where 1t was dirty. They
completely cover the soil and prevent the
accommodations of filth that were unavoid-
able with the old pavements of rough
stones and their uneven cutters. But while
the asphalt surface Is relatively clean 1t Is
nearly always dusty. Everything that
falls upon 1t is soon converted into fine
powder, which the wind scatters every
where. The street sweepers, while they
gather much dirt into their barrows, trans
a
walks. the steps or the windows Of the
houses; when the windows are open this
dust is distributed on floors and furniture,
on everything. IT becomes part OF the
air we breathe.
This is no theory. but fact of common
experience. to which every housekeeper
can testify. Within the last two years the
evil has been aggravated by the smoke and
SCOT from the soft coal which, unfortu-
nately has come into a widespread use UNI
known in Philadelphia before A distant
view of the city even a fine day, is OBJ
scured by a cloud of smoke We have only
| to look at the front of any building OF
marble or light-colored stone-we have
| only to look at the papers on our desk-to
| dirt are constantly deposited from the air
upon every exposed surface. The same
| dirt-lade air we take into our lungs. and
| like deposits must be made on the sensf-
| tive surfaces of our breathing apparatus.
| Apart from any question of specific conta-
| gion conveyed with the dust, this contami-
nation of the atmosphere becomes a men,
| ace to health. Not all persons are equally
sensitive, nor the same persons at all
| times Most of US may become gradually
| Injured But the condition is most dis
| tinctly insanitary, while the mere incon-
| venience of finding dirt on everything we
| touch, not to speak of the resulting injury
| to fine fabrics, books and other valuable
| property, constitutes a nuisance demand
| Ing serious effort for, its abatement.
There are other evils accompanying our
| modern improvements which might be re-
ferred to in the same connection The tall
buildings, for instance, which exclude sun
light from streets and create strange wind
currents which blow the dirt about, are
| certainly an insanitary, factor. Some COM
] pensation may be provided against these