Milford chronicle., 1911-12-08
BOARD OF HEALTH ON
SANITARY CONDITIONS.

After an exhausting study of loca
conditions the Board of Health has com
to the conclusion that the tenacity witt
which typhoid fever clings on to thi
particular community, is due to faults
which can only be dissipated through th
education of the people to better sanitarl
and hygienic conditions. Since the in
stallation of improved water supplies fo
the town mains, there can be no ques
tiOn of the purity and palatability of tn,
town water, and we have necessarily
been compelled, after frequent analysis
to look for other causes Milk supplies
of the town are evidently from pure
ources, as no intestinal fevers have been
discovered in persons handling any Of
the dairy products.
Looking, however, to the sanitary ar
rangements in the homes of the sick and
their neighbors, the experienced sani-
tartan very quickly perceives defects
which must be eliminated, ifit is desired
to nd the town and vicinity of this COM
mon filth disease.
We know from previous demonstra-
tons conclusively proven, that when
person contracts typhoid fever it is nee
essary for the victim to take into his
mouth bacilli from the urine or feval
matter of another case of typhoid.
Elaborating the many ways in which
this can be accomplished would require
a very long and tedious story, but for
our purpose it will suffice to say that
what the Board of Health most strongly
wishes to impress upon all is the fact
that the greatest defect it can find in
the string of evidence as to the causation
of both the endemic and epidemic cases
around Milford lies in the absolutely /
filthy and incompetent manner in which
the sewage and especially the droppings
of waterclosets are disposed of in those
not connecting with the town sewers.
Anyone who gives the idea a thought
cannot help but arrive at the conclusive
necessity of better sanitary arrangements
for the vast majority of privies in and
about the town of Milford, II am dealing
with Milford now, but will confess that
other places in the State and peninsula
are fully as bad, if not worse) The
Drivies not only fail to fulfill the condi-
ions which are primal from nearly all
'tandpoints for sanitary reasons, but for
'ther reasons of privacy, etc, many are ,
ar inferior to the standard.
OF almost equal importance in the local
conditions at present, should be men
ioned personal cleanliness and care nee
ssary on the part of cooks and nurses in
home where there are cases of typhoid. +
he use of the same eating and drinking !
tensils, clothing, bed clothing, etc, by
1embers ohthe family, can easily be the
1eans of transmitting the disease. Care
essness or forgetting to wash the 3
ands thoroughly after each handling of z
le patient, his clothing. or discharges.
another method of dissemination. rs
ecial reference should be made of the
eglected precautionary measure of al 4
avs washing the hands before each meal. K
l the ordinary routine OF DAVIS work \
le hands are soiled with many disease z
organisms which are easily r
ashed off with soap and water. The Z
-actice of washing the hands before n
ch meal should be as assidiously prac- N
ced as should thorough cleanliness in V
e preparation and handling of all food x
uffs if such infections as intestinal !
orms, typhoid, dysentary, cholera and
her filth diseases are to be avoided
the privy question, wish
call attention to the following require ar
ents necessary to make a privy sani- be
-y: IN
-, mi
/. The eXcreta must not touch the iii
ound, hence some water-tight receipt vi
e box, pail, tub. barrel, tank. or
ult) for the excreta must be used I lal
der the seat. ba
:. Domesticated animals must not at
We access to the night doll therefore !
: privy should have trap door in the W
tx to exclude them. we
Flies and other insects must not da
We access to the excreta Therefore fu
, entire privy must be made rigidly 60
proof, or some substance must be used mr.,
the receptacle to protect the contents an,
IN them. tie
,wo types of sanitary privies are gen -.
lily recognized. Namely, the so-called H. H.
ry System" and the so-called "Wet w.
item " In a succeeding issue, l want 90
axe up a study of these two systems. sGe
W conclusions, and give plans where tIs sIs
considerable of our present difficulties. ~ ~
he ideas are commonly accepted, will ''iS =
our opinion greatly tend to lesson G.
Eases which we should very seldom o. -,
e among us. 80
WM. MARSHALL, JR., n
Member Board of Health. i'll