The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1913-10-14
Splendid Address of DR.. c.
III. Vaught
Concluded from Page SIX

less rapid, life more vigorous, and death
more remote"
Some of my friends among the standpat-
tiers may analyze the above and reply as
follows: The health of the community,
/ they will say, is excellent; it is really a
haven of rest; the growth of our people
admirable and their decay very slow. Life
| in Richmond is so abundant that many Of
our citizens pass the three score and ten
allotment with elastic step, clear of eye,
intellect unclouded, and some of them give
promise of reaching the century mark. We
reply that while this is true to some extent,
it is not so because we pay any attention.
to sanitary science; it is not because of our
sanitary condition at all, but in spite of it.
We have been favored as few cities have
by our location, being so situated that its
natural drainage is unsurpassed. We are
fortunate in being close enough to the
mountains to get unbounded supplies of
its ozone These two factors have saved us
hours of suffering, and epidemics of disease
and DEATH Added to these, let us suppose
that we had modern sewerage system,
an adequate street cleaning department,
that all the homes were screened, that
our school children were taught the value
of sanitation, that all the necessaries of
life such as milk, meat, and grocery sup
plies, were kept scrupulously clean; then
we should have most excellent chance,
barring accidents, to reach the century
mark, and still enjoy life. 1t cannot be done
if we continue to ignore the fundamental
rules of sanitation. If we are sane we will
try to be sanitary; if we are sanitary we
are clean.
Now what are we going to do about all
this, and what is the remedy?
We can prescribe the remedy, but will
the patient take it? No, not on your life,
unless compelled to. In the first place,
our sanitary officer should be conversant
with sanitary laws, or else he could never
enforce them. He should be paid out of
the city treasury sufficient sum to enable
him to give much time to his public duties
If foods are f1agrantly exposed to dirt and
dust and flies, without any effort at pro-
lection, let this food be condemned Fly
screens should be provided to protect food
from flies. We should demand bread
that has been securely and Clearly wrap
ed in the bakery where it is made. We
should demand of servants absolute clean
illness lat any cost. We should demand clean
illness on the part of those who handle
the food we buy. The prices of food are
enough to stagger us with dirt added; they
should not be any more with the dirt
deported. We should teach our friends
from schools and churches, and through
the press that it is as necessary to pro-
tect communities against the ravages of
pests and dirt as it is against diphtheria and
small pox; that it is just as necessary to be
intelligent in the use of soap and water as
it is to hang out a flag to warn against
the scarlet fever 1t would be of the great
in our schools, to have public addresses
on this subject. Sex sanitation should, of
course, be included The field of sex by
giene is ripe, but until now we have had
a harvest of tares, due to our miserable
neglect in applying the remedy, at the
proper time and place. | contend that no
child Can render a proper account of him 4
self unless he is we'll physically, and no
child can be well physically who is not
sanitary. What is true of the child is equ-
ally true of the adult The principles of by
giene and sanitation are being applied
more and more and it must remain for
us to educate our children; to them we
must look for the first steps in the popu
larizing of reforms. A Mohammedan be-
ing asked why he came to Christian
Church, pushed his little son forward, say
ing, HE comes, come" Centuries ago a
great prophet wrote, "And little child