The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1906-06-15
THE WIDE NC SPHERE OF
SANITATION.

A gratifying result of the progress
of bacteriology in recent years and OF
the wider diffusion of knowledge OF
hygiene is an increased demand on TIL,
part of the public for fficient SANTA
ton. 'ssan,tas sanitutam, onania SAM
tas." said Lord Btaconsfeld, in pro
phctic way, many years ago, having
in view the fact that the enforcement
of sanitary conditions is becoming the
highest OF municipal and national du-
ties. The public health is now a,
length beginning TO be recog nizrd a.
the greatest public interest. The
crowdlng OF population into cities III
the last three decades has had at least
this compromising result, that 1t has
compelled science to take note Of the
SPECIAL evils crea' ed 10y such or wdine
and to devise remedies. A vast mass
OF knowledge OF the causes OF disease
and OF precautionary methods now ex
ists-knowledge that was not avalla-
bic few years since-and the public
conscience insists upon its application
for the reduction of the death rate.
Typhoid epidemics, for example, are
no longer acquiesced in as natural and
inevitable, but are traced TO the negl-
gence of municipal health officials.
Tuberculosis is held to be a problem
which it is the duty of tue municipal
iLy and state to undertake to soivt.
The milk supply is understood to be
serious factor of the public health, anu
the public authorities are expected 10
regulate it with view 10 securing
cleanliness and wholesomeness. The
water supply must be kept pure al
any cost to the taxpayers. TO secure
pure air in dwellings and streets sewer
systems and draining sy stems are sim
ilarIy provided at great expense. For
merly these things were little thought
OF, but better enlightened public now
deems them Indispensable. To tho
good housekeeper cleanliness was even
next to godliness, but it was domes.
tic virtue and had not been projected
into the broader sphere Of municipal,
State and national interests. Its wild
est entenslon is exemplitied in Presi-
dent Roosevelt's recent call upon Con
gress to enforce wise sanitary precau-
tions in the Chicago meat packing es
Establishments. An echo of the Presi
dents demand is heard in the sugges
ton from many quarters that oohel
cities besides Chicago need TO regulate
the conditions under which butchers
conduct their LIe'ness.
Municipal corporations, unlike 9th
ers, may be said to have souls, because
they have conscience. They hav.
no selfish interests, but have duties
commensurate with the larger needs
of their citiz ms, which duties they
cannot wish to escape. Ii they have
a religion, it embraces as its funda
mental dogmas, IMITATION ard hygiene
upon which the present welfare Of oi,
liens absolutely deper d.. Pure air.
pure water, pure food-lhose are prac-
tical tests OF municipal efficiency and
constitute the good wo k" which {.
municipality must regard as prime
tests of perfection. With good santa
ton and correct diet, life is vigorous
disease is inf' gu, nj and business be
comes pleasure. A sound mind il.
a sound body was described bv Jhv'-
n Il, the famous L.tin poet, as the hes
off IF the gods. The new view 's
that it is the frop' gif' of the Sta''
it should be, it. is held, the highest ain
OF siatrsna nship. We hare on'
public Schools, priva:e schno 3, col
leoes and unlvrr-i'l,s to form The
,uud mind. hut their work Will BE-
wholly in, ff"cLual unl'sS at the sam
tim, We create, through SANTA ion,
the conditions which producr the soun'
b |, i nifo. S"".