St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1914-06-06
Board Of Health
Letter.

Editor St. Tammany Farmer:
The Municipal Board of Health is
still alive, Notwithstanding its appar-
ent inactivity for the past few days.
Re-inspections of different places
were made during the week. and in
almost every instance unsanitary and
-unsightly conditions that previously
existed have been remedied. Not
withstanding the ordinances passed
by our Board which seems unpopu-
lar is that of house-fumigation. and
in the writer's humble opinion is one
of the most protective safeguards
against disease in this community.
No one will doubt for moment that
this section has become a veritable
Mecca for the third-stage consump-
tive, to such an extent that there
is scarcely a residence in Covingt0n
to-day that has not been Inhabited
by some person suffering with tuber-
culOsis. The first question asked our
real estate agents by prospecting ten
ants is: Has this house been occu-
pied by sick person? The second
is: Has it been properly fumigated?
The first query must be truthfully
Ond must carry with it the assurance
that while tubercular patients have
resided therein, the house has been
infected and fumigated in accordance
with the rules and regulations of the
City Board of Health, and a "clean
bill of health signed by the Health
Officer, should be. produced by agent
or owner to substaniate that fact.
The ordinance also provides that
besides a fine for noncompliance, a
list be kept on file by the Board for
public inspection of all unfumigated
houses. Therefore from business
standpoint every property owner
should be eager to have houses inn
mediately disinfected after removal
or death of an unfortunate diseased
tenant. PROFESSIONALLY domicile
SO treated is more easily rented or
sold, as the case may be.
Some raise the issue that the cost
incurred should be paid by the occu-
pant, and not the owner, as the FORM
er is the source of contamination.
This impression is erroneous, for OBJ
vious reasons: such menace can-
not be legally considered material
damage against property; besides.
in the majority of cases, the landlord
is cognizant of the fact that the ten
ant is infected, and he at once as
sumes the responsibility by agreeing
to rent.
Others-claim for the sake of econo-
my that fumigation could be done
as efficiently by them at less cost.
Having supervised this work on many
occasions the writer is firmly con-
vinced that, for its proper execution,
none but trained man can possibly
make it safe and effective, aside
from being extremely hazardous and
disagreeable to the fun gator. To
paste paper over crevices and cracks
of windows and doors upon which an
accumulation of infected dust rests,
to wash floors where tuburcular sput-
um has been carelessly deposited, is
far from being an attractive job, and
very few house owners would conde-
scend to do it. His only alternative
would be to employ an ignorant serv-
ant, whose crude method would make
the work a "1ffere joke"
A few remarks on the comparative
value of different fumigants may not
be amiss. Sulphur dioxide, while an
effective insecticide, is not considered
sufficiently germicidal to warrant its
use, alone, in the fumi CATION of
houses. After repeated experiments,
both Cynical and laboratory, formal
dehyde gas, generated by the adj
mixture of formalin and potassium
permanganate, has been found the
most potent and reliable fum.gant.
1t is not only preferred on account of
its non-poisonous properties, but al
SO for its great penetrability, the va
por having nearly the density of air.
Another advantage is that it does not
attack metallic surfaces, and when
deposited as paraldehyde it will evap-
crate gradually and thus continue
disinfectiOn in a moderate degree.
For floors and walls bichloride of
mercury and carbolic acid hold first
place.
Medical science has demonstrated
that tubercle bac.lli readily succumb
when exposed to heat and Eght-!n
infected sputum in direct contact with
the suns rays are easily destroyed in
five to eight minutes. On the other
hand darkness and moisture are con-
ducive to- their development and
growth. Therefore it can, be plain
" seen that houses are more to be
dreaded as hot-beds of Infection than
even the street, and are greater
menace.
The privy ordinance will be pro-
mulgated as soon as some sat.sfac-
tory method can be found for the
proper disposal of the refuse. Me-
gotiations are now under way toward
acquiring a small tract of land to be
used for that purpose.
In conclusion, the Board wishes
to convey an expression of thanks,
through the medium of your pro-
gressive journal, to every one for the
cooperative spirit manifested, with
the assurance that their supreme m
terests will be safeguarded in all mat
ters relative to sanitation.
Very respectfully,
A MEMBER.
COUGHS AND COLDS WEAKEN
THE SYSTEM.
Continued coughs, colds and bron-
chial troubles are depressing and
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