Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-03-19
s.~as. Dispose, on Trains.

Sewage Disposal on Trains.
The advance Of the railways OF the
country in applied sanitation has been
marked. When one recalls the condi-
tons allowed to exist in railway cars
twenty years ago the present state OF
cleanliness IL comparatively satisfac-
tory. The railways are indeed to pe
commended for their gradual intro
duction of hygienic regulations that
keep their cars. in spite Of the num-
bers Of people who travel in them eV-
cry day, in state that is not likely TO
endanger health. There remains, now
over, one phase of railway sanitation
that will soon have to be dealt with.
Tho it is difficult phase, there us no
doubt that Improvement OF present
conditions must come without delay
1t would seem to be better for the rall-
ways to take up the problem OF their
own initiative rather than be forced
INTO 1t by legal regulation This IS the
| present mode of disposing OF the sew
age Of trains. In former years wnen
population was less dence and when
| trains were not nearly so frequent ana
(, crowded. it was perhaps not so much
/ to be deprecated that the railways
should scatter sewage over the right
/ of-way. Now that railways cross
thickly populated tracts of territory,
and express trains pass thru towns OF
considerable size without stopping, the
crude disregard of hygiene in this mat
ter is entirely out Of keeping with
present-day sanitary science, partlcu-
larly as the railway rule is to have
the toilets locked only during the times
Of stopping at stations, which gives
opportunity for the scattering of Of
fensive material, distinctly dangerous
to health. even on the streets or towns.
Railways frequently cross streams that
are connected with water supplies, ana
the present custom may we'll prove
source of contamination Of drinking
water. II will not be long, says Inc
Journal of the American Medical AS
ISOLATION. before the general public
wakes up to this serious danger. Now
that we are carefully disposing OF
sewage in connection with our cities
and are no longer allowing Ordinary
waterways to be contaminated as fo,-
merly, protection of our smaller
streams will surely come to be felt
as necessity.
Pneumonia Prevention.
The end CT the winter, far from
bringing a termination to the danger
from pneumonia, in reality marks the
beginning OF the season when this dis
ease becomes an extremely serious
cause of increase of mortality. This
is true particularly in large cities. In
recent years this increase has become
more and more marked and is all the
more striking because of the decrease
in deaths from other infectious dis
eases. Pneumonia has been aptly
termed the Captain of the Men OF
Death" displacing tuberculosis which
for so long occupied that bad emf
nence' The most important prob
lem before the medical profession at
present is the reduction OF the death
rate from pneumonia. Considering the
nature of the disease and the tntens',
strain which 1t imposes on the heart,
it is probable that the only hopefu!
outlook for any considerable reduction
in pneumonia mortality is thru the
prevention of the disease. The prospect
Of 2 cure for u, in the popular sense
of that term, according to The Journal
OF the American Medical Association,
has grown less as We have learned
more about the disease While pner-
lnonia il most frequent during the
colder portion Of the year 1t is not oe-
pendent entirely on low temperature.
The disease occurs at all seasons ana
in all climates 1t does not work It's
greatest ravages in the colder climates,
but is rather rare IN 1.-The cold OF high
attitudes and is almost never known
to occur within the Arctic circle. In
spite Of all their suffering from cold,
Arctic explorers escape this danger.
Hence We must assume that cold acts
in conjunction with some other fac-
tor in the production Of the disease.
Pneumonia is favored by lack Of sum
light and it occurs among those VINO
are much exposed to dust or who have
to breathe the carnations from the
lungs Of other people Catarrhal pro-
cesses affecting the air passages pre-
pare the soil for the implantation OF
the germ of pneumonia. 1t is partic-
ularly disease Of city life and crowd
ed living. With our present knowledge
the prospects are hopeful for the con-
troll of pneumonia in the future thru
prevention. This is of special i'm
portance to the Individual. The avoid
ance Of pneumonia is largely ques-
ton Of personal precautions that pre-
vent the development of the disease by
lessening the predisposition to 1t. Men
in middle life, particularly those above
so, must learn during unsettled weather
to avoid crowds. especially when IA
tigued and when they have been for
number Of hours without eating. Late
at night. when for any reason meal