El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-09-26
D. G. sept .

water borne diseases, and the death
rate is constantly declining. 1t is pre-
dicted that the sewage farm will ul-
timately be the method adopted by
cities in solving of the sewage dis
posal problem
Combining all the advantages of ir-
rigation and heavy fertilization. and
having demonstrated that it need not
be injurious to health, it may be en-
ployed as a method of disposal that is
not financial drain upon the COM
munity.
Laws Greatest Aid to Health Work.
The greatest problem to be solved in
the promotion of the public health is
how to secure the passage of adequate
laws and ordinances for the carrying
This marks back to the individual citi-
zen, since 1t is upon an intelligent pub
lie sentiment that adequate financial
support depends. that proper enforce
ment of legislation rests, and that the
cooperation of the masses in work that
cannot be accomplished by statute, is
based.
Through the International Congress
of Hygiene and Demography the at
tention of the world has just been
brought to the most successful efforts
that have been made to solve divers
problems that arise before the health
officers in whom is reposed the trust
of getting the whole people to look af-
ter the health of the whole community.
II is generally conceded that England
leads the world in these matters and
eminent health officers told the con-
gress Just how England goes about it
The details of her central health ad-
ministration, the county health de-
partments. and the borough health de-
partments were carefully pictured.
Denmark and Germany and Japan were
all heard from
Europe Leads In Pure Water.
AS stated in a previous article. Eu-
rope leads in the matter of pure wafer
for municipalities, and while some OF
Americas most progressive cities have
come to approximate the highest Euro
pean standards in that direction, I
large majority Of them have some dis
lance yet to go before being ready to
challenge comparison with leading
European municipalities. The sanitary
control of watersheds is one of the
favorite American methods of protect
ing city water supplies Some cities
buy large areas of land, where il can
be bought at reasonable figures, while
others acquire certain rights which
from the invasion of dangerous germs
Other cities purify their water by stor-
age and filtration. Washington has
one of the finest storage and filtration
plants in the western hemisphere.
In some European cities the problem
is attacked by sterilizing the water
with ozone. Sterilization by the applt-
cation of the invisible ultraviolet rays
OF light is another method resorted TO,
and it is shown that disease germs COM
ing in contact with these rays of light
possess no visible attributes are in
stantly killed It is these rays in the
sunlight that are so fatal to tubercu-
losis germs and their kindred, and ex-
plains why sunlight puts an end to
them. Chlorine compounds are also
used in some quarters with success
Colonial HyEieae Successful.
Colonial hygiene has always been
more successful than home hygiene,
since in the colonies the government
can tell the people just what must be
there
around it. This principle finds a coun-
terpart in the case of the military man
and the civilian The military man
must obey orders. while the civilian
usually insists upon being a law unto
himself This explains why the death
rate in the army is less than among
men of similar ages in civil life. and
why colonial possessions usually en-
joy better health than do their home
countries
We find that true. relatively, not only
IN Panama, but in Porto Rico and the
Philippines as well There, when COM
pulsory vaccination is ordered, no back
talk avaiIs. Everybody is vaccinated
and smallpox is promptly wiped off the
map. There when all water contain
ers are ordered covered or overturned
and all garbage receptacles covered,
inspectors go around to see that it is
done. There, when the health authori-
ties pull the strings the people move,
and one of the brightest pages in
American history has been cur sue
cess in saving tens OF thousands of
lives annually through the enforcement
Of sanitary principles in our colonial
possessions.
The canal zone in particular stands
out in this regard, just as did our work
in Cuba. With Col w. c. Gorgas as
administrative officer, although three
fourths Of the population of the zone
are negroes who know less about sani-
tation than those OF New Orleans and
Washington. the death rate has been
forced down to perhaps a fourth or
even fifth of what it might have been
but for scientific sanitation
Disposal of Sewage.
Another line of sanitary. activities of
cities has to do with the disposal of
sewage and garbage. There again
than American cities. and many prom
iGent sewerage experts from Europe
are in attendance upon the sessions Of
the International Congress of Hygiene
and Demography to tell how many of
the problems of waste disposal have
been solved by them In Birmingham,
ton beds for the publication of sew
age but they, like a very great pro-
portion of the other successful meth
DDS of sewage disposal had their be-
ginning in the epochal experiments
made at the Lawrence, Mass. expert
ment station 1t is gratifying to
American patriotism to hear DE-, Ira
Wis, the British sewage expert declare
that the conception of the hydrolitic
tank and the oxidizing beds is the re-
suit of close study of the numerous eX-
Massachusetts board of health. DR..
Karl Imhoff came over from Germany
to tell of methods of disposing of
sludge, the settings of sewage. Re
has a specially constructed series of
tanks in which this material is kept
for months and then forced out by sew
age pressure for spreading on sewage
beds and final disposal. His idea is a
modification of the Travis idea which
frankly acknowledges its debt to Law
renee.
One of the favOrite ways of disposing
of the sewage Of cities is ty discharg-
ing il in rivers or tidal waters The
best experience has demonstrated that
where there is a flow of 40 gallons of
water per second for each 1000 of pop
ulation, or where there is a tidal cur
rent of a mile and a half an hour. the
conditions created in the rivers may
be unobjectiOnable. Where other dis
position is necessary the sewage is
usually run through big settling tanks
where most of the organic material is
deposited. At the same time ii is
treated with chemicals to partially
purify it. The liquid is then carried
over extensive gravel beds where it
is sprayed out like water from lawn
sprayer. and permitted to filter
through the prepared beds.
Spreading Sewage on Farms.
Another method of sewage disposal is |
through sewage farming, with an acre |
of land for each 100 of population the |
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