Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1910-05-26

ONSAS oAo ~ " 6S0A aOoASAS
but the fact of the matter is the refuse
is no more dangerous when it smells
strongly than when it don't smell at all.
No one eve got typhoid fever, tuber-
culosis or any other disease from a bad
smell, for the germs of those diseases
might lie in your garbage pile for a
century and never offend your organs of
smell. The harm lies mostly here. and
it is very great, flies bred principally
and by the millions in horse manure;
from there they fly to the privy vaults,
which may be reeking with the germs of
typhoid fever, tuberculosis or sour
ashes disease, thrown there from some
patient either now or in the past. From
here the fly will carry or his feet enough
germs to infect a whole town, Mr.. Fly
may now visit your garbage pile and
from his feet plant some germs in that
interesting conglomeration already
reeking and rotting in the hot summer
sun. The next move may carry him
into your dining room, where he will
perhaps wash his feet in your soup and
wipe them on the table cover. This is
a very coarse picture but with
present system of sanitation it occurs
every day during the summer months in
our little city. Do you wonder now
good people how diseases spread? I am
telling you but few of the possibilities,
the wonder is it don't spread more.
Now let US look at our present system
from the standpoint of our water supply
and concerning this 1 do not think I can
do better than take a quotation from
the April number of the agricultural
Experiment Stations Bulletin-Pro-
fessor Ladd.
It's a common experience to hear a
person say that their water is pure
because it is clear and sparkling. AS a
matter of fact, this clear and sparkling
condition may be due to the fact that
putrescent matter is present, and in
percolating through the soil the turbid
condition has moved and the water left
clear and sparkling, but filled with
undesirable products and bacteria.
A study was recently made in New
York as to the cause of typhoid fever so
general throughout the state, and the
Merchants Association Committee of
New York have the following to say in a
pamphlet recently issued:
"Great cities are developing some sort
of a sanitary conscience. Farmers and
country. districts have as yet little or
none. Bad as our city water often is,
and defective as our system of sewerage,
they cannot for a moment compare in
deadliness with the most unheavenly
pair of twins, the shallow we'll and the
vault privy. A more ingenious combi-
nation for the dissemination Of typhoid
than this previous couple could hardly
have been devised. The innocent house
holder sallies forth and at an appropriate
distance from his cot he digs two holes,
one about thirty feet deep, the other
four. Into the shallower he throws his
excreta, while upon the surface of the
ground he filings abroad his household
waste from the back stoop. The gentle
rain from heaven washes these various
products down into the soil and per-
~colates gradually into the deeper hole
When the interesting solution has &C
cumulated to a sufficient depth, it is
drawn up by the oaken bucket or
modern pump, and drank. Is it any
wonder that in this progressive and
highly civilized country $4,000 cases Of
typhoid occur every year, with a death
penalty of ten per cent?"
Much very much more, Mr.. Edit,l
might be said, but [ do not wish to take
up too much space and | wish to make
some practical suggestions.
Without a system of wsterworks any.
thing like a perfect system of sanitation
is out of the question; but to do some
thing in the right direction and 1t wilt be
a great deal at a very small expense, the
following plan has been devis-d: THAI
each family throughout the city provide
themselves with a covered galvanizpc
iron can, into which they will empty a,
the kitchen refuse, such as potato skins
vegetable tops, empty cans and in fac
all kitchen waste, the harborlng %
which about the premises will tend te
gather flies or be in any way a nuisance
These cans should be water tight and
must be kept clean and we'll covered
A can % inches high with a top 18ln.hes
in diameter will hold the refuse from thu
kitchen of most houses for probably two
weeks, and this can your hardware
merchant will build for a cost tina
should be easily within the reach of all
Now if the people will do this we viii
ask the city council and I believe the
request will be granted to empty these
cans at frequent intervals free of charge