The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-06-18
DECLARE DEATH LURk9l
IN THE POLICE COUE
Health Department Denounccs Domain of Justice John
tary and Menace Lives of SpecatorsSoap ind Wxte1
Badly Needed--Precautionary Measures Laughed at.

Every sightseer who visits the police
court presided over by Justice John
Crutchheid in the basement of the city
hall is flirting with death in myriad
forms, according to DIR. Levy of the
City Health Department.
The latter declares he courtroom to
be In filthy condition from a sanitary
standpoint. Disease germs hover In
swans. he says thriving and multi,
plying In the dark odors arising from
too close proximity OF unwashed hui
man flesh.
I There are certain rules and regula-
tons which II observed might make
the place less sanitary. but even II
these were most strictly enforced, DR..
Levy says the place would still be vir-
tually an incubator for disease germs.
/ II is practically impossible to trace
Illness directly TO "a visit TO the police
court but according to health depart
ment officials. there is undoubtedly a
considerable quota who contract malig-
nant and frequently deadly ailments
as result of such tribes. This state
OF affairs is due to variety OF rea-
sons, chief among which is the failure
TO keep the place even decently clean.
THE room should be scrubbed with
soap and water--not merely washed,
but scrubbed and scrubbed hard" said
*.
But 1t is not kept even ordinarily
clean. Instead il rs SO dirty and so
insanitary that 1t Is intensely disagree
able for me to have to go there. as /
must In the course of my duties"
The proposition to disinfect the place
Is not regarded as practicable by the
Health Department, Ii being pointed
out, that an enormous expense would
be involved. and that use of disinfec-
tant would make the room untentabie
/ for several days.
/ Cleanliness and the eyercisYnsy of dis
erection admitting spectators are rec
commended by DR. Levy as the most
effective remedies for what is at best
practically an incurable condition
/ Police court rooms should be we'll
ventilated above all things" said DIR.
Levy In this room, however the
ventilation Is exceptionally poor
Take this fact in conjunction witt
the dirt, and the swarm of spectators
and you have state Of affairs In
which to me is intolerabie.
For one thing. every particle Of
/ air Is laden with moisture from the
bodies and breaths OF the spectators
1 suppose there is one tubercular pa
( tent among those spectators That
one vitiates the atmosphere, and ths
germs from his throat are breathed IL
/ by all the others. So IL is with man,
! other diseases,
One need only look at some of tn,
! spectators TO see that their health /.
poor---frequentiy, indeed, that they ar,
afflicted with some ailment, which Il
not actually contagious. is pretty ap
/ to be infectious. The presence of suct
person endangers the health ant
lives of all the others"
! That this state of affairs is not onl,
! allowed to exist. but that even tn,
( slightest precautionary measure.
! which might tend TO lessen the dan
/ gers are absolutely disregarded ia ths
charge of another Of the Health De.
partment officials. who called atten
ton in particular to the generally pre-
| valent habit of court room habituei
of expectorating on the floor.
/ There Is an ordinance prohibiting
! this expectoration, but according I,
this official. the ruling Is laughed al
Spectators chew tobacco and spi
when and just about where the
| please" said he Every time the
do II. too, they may be emitting germ
which may find Judgement In SOM
SENSITIVE throat, there to breed ans
multiply and be spread in turn t
other threats. and no on ad finitum.'
There is also an ordinance prohib
iting the. promiscuous admission o
any and all spectators, drawn by sole
I Iy by curiosity. This too. Is disre
garded. For a time II was observed
and things we're slightly better as
result. Matters soon slipped back int
/ the old rut. however, and to-day the,
/ are as bad as ever.
Finally. according to DR.. Levy. thos
curious ones who visit Justice John
court may be hugely entertained. II
the end. though they may not realiz
II. that visit Is apt to cost them los
of health--and possibly worse.