The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1907-01-18

. amount OF inorganic salts in solution
, and of course at times of heavy rain q
rapid melting OF snow in the sprinl
more or less earthly matter, that rapid
precipitates on standing.
The chlorine is from the Atlantic ocean
borne by east winds and deposited by at
mospberic precipitation. The ammoni
and nitrates are of vegetable origin. Tn
relative amount of mineral matter il
solution determines the hardness or soft
ness OF the water. This question Of hard
ness is OF very considerable economic i'm
portance. The difference in the cost o
soap in this community due to few
degrees difference in the hardness of on
water supply would amount to quite
large sum of money annually. Also tn,
softest water is most favorable TO physi
cal health. ANY marked increase of chlor
inc in any surface water over the norma
for that region is positive evidence o
contamination from some waste that con
tains salt aud that is most likely to be
house sewerage. The normal chlorine les
sens with the distance from the coast
until il disappears.
Let us assume that we have a complete
water system, such as we expect TO hate
the next essential for sanitation is com
pleted sewer system. At the present time
our sewer system is very far from com
| pletion and the sanitation of the village
of Bratteboro must remain defective until
| the sewer system Is perfected. Frost
| place, a part of Birge street Western ave
nue. beyond Stewart Pratt's and all of
West Brattleboro have no sewerage outlet
save Milestone brook The consequence
is that Milestone brook is rapidly beeom.
ing an open sewer. Can Brattleboro af-
ford to have this naturally pure stream,
which Is one OF the most attractive fea-
lures of our beautiful village, become a
fostering offence TO the sight and smell
OF all? think not, and | wish to bespeak
the active influence of all the members
of the Professional club, their wives, fami.
lies and friends to procure the completion
of our sewerage system. Thorough santa
ton is impossible until then, Earth clos
cts and old wells are a menace and the
former are being eliminated as fast as
possible My personal ambition is to see
every house in East and West Brattle-
boro villages connected with perfected
sewer system that shall deliver its
waste safely into the Connecticut river,
every house supplied with sanitary plumb
ing, including bath room and an ample
water supply, and ! expect to live to see
it accomplished.
The open earth closet presents a danger
Dul ItCeHilN ne
house fly which is everywhere present
during more than one-half the year, may
come directly from an earth closet, carry
ing particles of filth and germs of disease
on its body and leave particles of its load
on our food or ON the dishes or utensils
used in its preparation. We cannot ex-
terminate the fly, but we can eliminate
the earth closet and do much to keep the
flies out of our houses Eternal vigilance
is the price of safety from the many
sources of disease and death.
Ventilation and the disposal Of dust
in our houses and places of public assem-
bly, are perhaps the next most important
topic for consideration, from the santar
ian's point of view. BY ventilation we
understand sufficiently rapid change OF
air in our apartments TO ensure fairly
clean air to breathe. This we accomplish
by well understood means, ranging from
the opening of a door or window to forced
circulation by mechanical motors. The
modern house, heated by the introduction /
of hot air, brought from without, must !
be ventilated, because it cannot be heat |
ed without changing the air constantly. |
Steam or hot water heating for houses |
not crowded with occupants, with open
fire places for exit hues, give quite salts 1
factory results, because there is in cold |
weather a very constant change of air \
through all the crevices around the win |
dows and DOORS
Our public buildings and places OF as
sembly, with the exception Of most of the \
school building of District No. .. are /
absolutely lacking of any adequate means
of ventilation and ! am very confident |
that our Auditorium, Festival hall, the
churches and lodge rooms are the most
potent factor in the dissemination of GER
tain forms of contagion that we have
among us.
The dust problem is no less important
and requires earnest and honest consider
alton. So far, our spasmodic attempts
At the removal Of dust, which by the
way, consists of finely powdered com
pound of everything imaginable, have
Deen very nearly futile. The occasional
stirring up of the rich deposits, the re-
noval of some part of the coarser parti-
les, the settling of the finer and the sec
pndary displacement of this with the
Gather buster, constitutes the sum of
success we have so far attained. What
We want is safe removal; what we get is
argely change of location. And | wish
o say in this connection, in regard to
ome of our school buildings in District
No. 2, that their heating and ventilation
5 good, but the janitor service is inc
ficient, because insufficient. 1t is simply
impossible for one man to properly care
or the High school building. There should
Ne no dry sweeping nor dry busting and
We must be willing to pay for sufficient
ewice before we can have proper sani-
airy conditions in our school rooms.
Because of its vigorous presentation of
he dust question, | beg your indulgence !
or quoting what | have once quoted be-
ore from a paper read by I. Mitchell
'rudden, NJ. d., before the Practitioners
ociety of New York, in January last, on t
lean Air. He says: {
"The carpeting of places of public as {
emily involves the presence of filthy and t
angerous dust in the air and until prop
r notions of intelligent cleanliness shall I
revail, the frequenters of such carpeted
laces will pay the penalty of their in
ulgence by attacks of disease of the S
organs which might readily e
e avoided
'The result is that in some of the most |
arefully. and extensively administered a
laces-the great city clubs for example
ne members are perpetually served with
ne most obviously dust laden air.
The trouble is that while some of us s
re mighty particular about the cleanliness h
our clothing, or our food and drink and o
lie utensils in which these are served, a
nd the exterior of our persons, we make il
0 protest as we bear away upon the e
elicate membranes of our respiratory Il
rgans, from the places of public CON a
,urse, the pulverized excretions of the h
thy and diseased. Fancy our reproach- s.
Il protest should the breakfast of today II
, served upon utensils marked with the a
of yesterdays repast. But in a d
proportion of cases in thea ft
es and court rooms, in Offices, in public a
nveyances, in factories and stores, the e.
,ating dust of today is pregnant with il
e spit of yesterday" g