Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-02-08
DIR. j w. SCOTT

his trust depends his tenure of office.
DR. j w. SCOTT
Mr. President, sladies and gentlemen:
LAS one generation passeth away and
another taseth Its place." the influence
exerted by the adoption OF sanitary
measures On the health of,the human
race is ever gaining broader recog.
milton, and in these early DAYS of the
nineteenth century there are few
homes being erected without careful
calculations being made regarding the
facility with which the drainage Of the
site can be accomplished, and good
ventilation from cellar to garrett With
the admission of all sunlight possible,
is being more and more demanded in
the construction of the modern home
A brief review OF the past and pres
ent health conditions Of many of our
eastern states, including Ohio, Mioht-
gan and Indiana. furnishes chapter
OF positive evidence in defense OF the
assertion that sanitary science pro-
perly applied has power beyond nuy
other agent at mans disposal 10 pro-
noting the public health. Only few
decades ego these portions OF the couu.
try were unhealthy places of residence
for man. At that time the land was
still covered with the primitive forest,
the swamps and marshes were filled
with water, decaying vegetation and
ooze the year round, the mosquitoes
were as the sands Of the sea In multi
tude, and sgue, malaria and kindred
ailments were endemic among the
people year after year. Today, In
these came states. he sor,sss having
been cleared ave. ~. snr',ae s,t the
land exposed to the lIy.. .. ...4g influ.
ence of the suns rays, tie swamps
drained, the land cultivated, the mos
Quitoes almost exlermiaated owing to
conditions being made unfavorable to
their existence, the mir purified of the
pestilent exhalations of swamp and
and s1ale, we find that ague, aud
malaria and other diseases OF early
days have become as rare as the beau
tiful rolling pralries OF our own state,
aud these lands, once the breeding
centres of disease. have been trans
formed into veritable health resorts.
Thut the improved sanitary conditions
to which these states have been SUBJ
jected are the chief factors 10 the pro-
motion and maintenance OF this glori.
GUS conversion, l believe no sane per-
son will for minute dispute. SINH.
lar results from similar causes are
being noted in many of our southern
states, and on the island OF Cubn, aud
l believe the day is not far off when
the health officers can truthfully pro
claim the abso!ute eradication from
the south Of the dreaded yellow fever,
victory which can be achieved In no
other way than by the application Of
such thorough sanitary measures that
life will become burden TO the MOS
quito that carries the eausative germ
and by Its bite lnoculatcs people.
Health statistics show and observation
verifies tho accuracy of the report,
that the practice Of sanitation In our
great cities has been. as prolific OF
results as it has been in the country.
We find the crowded, poorly ventilated,
and dimly lighted rooms of the tene-
ment buildings are hotbeds Of siok ness,
while other buildings la the came
localities into which the sunIi G bit and
fresh air find free access are peoplcd
with robust and healthy mon, women
and children. II this imperfect pic
ture of the benefits Of applied santa
ton concerning the health OF the
human race is true history, even
though no other evidence could be
produced, I believe l would be justi.
fed in declaring to you today that
these Same principles applied on your
farms and inside and all around your
stables and pens, would bring about
ruggedness of constitution In all YOUR
domesticated animals that would
greatly lessen their susceptibility to
infection and disease.
The three great natural agents of
sanitation are pure air, sunlight and
drainage. Many pathologic germs
cannot live if exposed to the pillence
OF the SUMS rays and all sre deprived
OF the power of multiplication. More.
over light imparts increased vitality
to both animal life and that Of the
higher forms OF vegetation so that g
double benefit is the reward OF close
friendship with the sunlight. First,
the vitality Of the germ life is dimin-
ished, rendering unavoidable assori-
istion with them less dangerous to the
animal. Second, the vitality of ami
NAL life Ia increased and a conse quent
decreased vulnerability to contaglou
ensues In other words, our common
enemy, the microbe, becomes weak
ened and lessu powerful In its assault,
while our Notifications are strength
eaed and better able to resist their
asaoks. In the vegetable world q
good tlesson can be learned OF the
benefits derived from, fresh air and