Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1912-09-27
BY Frederic J. Haskin.

With an ever growing number Of
less frequency. and with the products
OF the whole world circulating over
! our arteries Of traffic as the blood runs
through the arteries of the body, the
problem Of the relation Of travel and
traffic to the public health becomes
more and more vital. and the hygien-
| lists now make 1t one Of the eight
great subjects Of hygienic investiga-
ton and application. During the ses-
! sions Of the Hygienic Congress just
closed some very remarkable contri-
buttons were made to the thought
! upon it, and it Is confidently pre-
dicted that it will result in new ac-
tivities in the protection Of the pub
| lie from the ills that grow out Of traf-
fic and transportation
When congress framed the interstate
commerce law 1t did not entirely over
look the matter, and in some ways 1t
sought to guard the public health as
| we'll as the public pocketbook. For
| instance. 1t incorporated rules for the
| transportation Of explosives, intended
for those who travel and for those who
operate the vehicles Of travel. II has
enacted numerous laws to protect the
public from accident. The steamboat
inspection laws, the air-brake law,
the law limiting the time trainmen
| and others assisting in the operation
Of trains may work. all bear witness
to the interest that congress has taken
| in the protection Of the travelling
public and its protection from acct
dent.
Protection from Disease.
But 1t has done much less for the
peoples protection from disease. It
! might have required the railroads and
| steamboat companies to furnish indi-
vidual drinking cups, but II has not
done So 1t might have compelled
them to use vacuum cleaners in clean
| ing their cars. but It has. failed to do
so. 1t has frequently forbidden the
transportation of cattle exposed to
Texas fever across certain quarantine
| lines. but 1t has taken no steps to pro-
| tect the human traveller from this
careless splitting victim Of tuberculo-
| sis. There is no law which has for its
end the suppression OF the germ car
| rying plush car seat which all ny.
| gienists admit ought to be banished
| ~ tlIe llHIDo VI uHileCcSSATy evils.
What congress has done is to be COM
mended. according to the sanitarians,
| but a whole bookful Of wholesome
laws might be written upon the sin
gle question Of traffic and transport
tation In its relation to public health.
II congress might do more for the
health protection by railroads and
steamboats,, the majority Of the states
are in the same situation. 1t Is true
| that some of the states have abol-
ished the common drinking cup by
law, but even these do not go fur
Their to see that wholesome water 10
always furnished. Any one who has
travelled much and has had his eyes
open while water coolers are filled
with water and ice, must feel that
| sometimes he might rinse off a glass,
but that separating germs from the
water represents an impossible task
This does not apply with such force
to the work Of replenishing the sup
ply Of drinking water Is done In big
terminals as II does elsewhere But
even there to see the ice hauled in all
kinds OF trucks handled by men who
know nothing Of the principles Of
cleanliness. and put unwashed into
the coolers Is not very pleasing
| sight to him who has to drink the
water. One often sees. when travel
ing where Pullmans are not found, a
trainman grab up an old watering can
that has not been washed out for
| goodness knows how long. get It full
of water from a hydrant. pour 1t into
a cooler that is Shiny from going I'M
! washed, and then add chunk OF ice
that Is dirty and grimy from contact
i with the sidewalk, with never an at
tempt at cleanliness.
4 The City Street Car.
The Hygiene Congress heard a num-
Der Of speakers on the part the city
street car plays In the prevention Of
health. 1t was declared by some of
the speakers that the abatement Of
unnecessary noise Is absolutely essen
tial to nerve hygiene. and that the
flat wheel. the badly adjusted brake
and the improper control Of motors
is responsible for more cases Of ner-
vous prostration than the public would
believe. 1t was also declared that the
| part played by the poorly ventilated
street car in the health OF a city is far
j greater than is ordinarily thought. It
4 is conceded by all sanitarians that tu-
berculosis may be transmitted through
bad air. In 147 samples OF dust coll
lected where tubercuiar people had
been. more than a third contained tu-
berculosis germs. Out Of 4s guinea
pigs inocculated with air borne dust
from tubercular sputum. Is took the
disease. Not only are the germs Of
/ number OF diseases to be found in
III hoA1., lot aA hs,t h.
bad air increases the susceptibility Of
those who have to inhale It.