The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1912-03-05
A TRIUMPH OF SANITATION.

Too much of what appears in print
on public health subjects bears in
ternal evidence of having been writ
ten by those without first-hand
ed. The result is a vast accumula-
ition of platitudinous and often mac
curate advice, not only as to per-
sonal hygiene, but as to the solu-
tion of nationwide health problems.
On the other hand the real sanitar-
ians, those who actually go into the
field and accomplish something, too
frequently content themselves with
brief and technical accounts of
their work. The consequence is that
much of the enthusiasm of the pub
lie is misdirected and the limited
funds usually available for health
work are expended on matters of
comparatively minor Importance.
These remarks of the Journal Of
1.-THE American Medical Association do
not apply to the campaign against
typhoid conducted last summer in
dhlHd COUNTY, w dSHliiStoH, Vi W
the manner in which the results are
recorded in recent bulletin of the
| United States public health service.
In this bulletin DR.. l.. L. Lumsden
gives a clear and succinct discussion
of the eausation and prevention of
typhoid and illustrates each point by |
reference to conditions observed in I
the state of Washington. A densely
populated semi-rural community,
provided only in small part with
public water supplies and sewerage
systems; very large number of in
sanitary privies, frequently in close
to shallow wells; num-
Der of stables and manure piles, [
breeding innumerable flies; an ex-
.ensive system of irrigation bitches, /
the prompt and wide
of pollution; typhoid .
Prevailing throughout the year, but e
With marked increase each sum C
ler, the annual typhoid death rate F
eing about $50 per hundred thous- s.
nd The methods employed were n
ne creation of a popular senti- h
tent for improved sanitation by a
eans of public addresses; an ex- a
hit at the health department, fe
C.; the enforcement, in a prac- al
cal and common-sense way, of or H
nances requiring the connecting st
houses with the sewerage sys- OF
m and, when this was impracti- IL
bile, the construction of cheap but N
ficient sanitary privies; the pro- h
citing of the water supplies AMI G
the destruction Ii
I the breeding places Of flies, n
tc. Those directing the work did v
OF stop with sententiously advising !
he citizens to expend immediately Z
arge sums of money in filtration
and sewage publication plants and !
In the meanwhile, to boil the wa
ter and leave the rest TO Proyl-
dence; but simple, practical meas
ures we're at once employed.
The result was, as already indi
Gated, a practical elimination of the
disease. This signal triumph OF
sanitation is worthy of more than
passing attention by other com
for like conditions may be
ound. with variations, throughout !
he United States. The campaign |
onducted in Yakima Valley clearly [
nd Individually lowered the annual '
Uphold rate there by about 80 per t
emit Were similarly successful I
carried out throughout g
he country, the number of cases OF 7
Uphold in the United States would t
Don be reduced by 100000, and the |
eaths by over 80 geo per year. |
,uch a statement seems incredible, {
nut any one carefully studying the
conditions at Yakima will be con-
,inced that they were not in any re-
ipect more favorable for the sup
of the disease than those
existing elsewhere; in fact, condi-
tons are more favorable in most
localities.