Evening journal., 1915-03-17
BOARD OF HEALTH BULLETIN
"HEALTH is WEALTH. CLEAN UP EARLY. NOTHING GREAT
WAS EVER ACHIEVED WITHOUT ENTHUSIASM.

The many signs of approaching
spring forcibly call TO mind the duties
we owe ourselves and others. While
these duties are as potent in the win
ter as i'm the summer we are more
apt to lose sight of them at that sea-
son. During the short days and long
nights of the winter, we are in a state
of confederation. as regards the ex-
ternal appearance of our property.
This condition is not peculiar to any
locality. Even those in the most eX-
elusive neighborhoods. with their
large manions and spacious grounds,
seem to forget the importance of
keeping their places in good condi-
ton. Naturally those living in a few
small rooms. with practically no yards,
are compelled by the rorce OF cir
cumstance TO devote their whole at
tention 10 the inside condition rather
than TO the outside. The past winter,
from the fact that there have been
no protracted cold spells or severe
snow storms, render the spring con-
ditions very similar to those of two
years ago. We feel that our words OF
warning at that time are as applica-
BILE now as then and quote them verb
atm:
During the cold months of winter
the average citizen does not have the
pride in the outside appearance of
his home that he has wnen the trees
are in leaf and the flowers in bloom.
Consequently ashes, rubbish and often
filthy and decaying material are al
| lowed TO collect about the premises
that i'm other seasons would not be
tolerated Many. perhaps most. Of
these collections are only unsightly
and many that are not detrimental
TO health during this period. are like
| ly, with the advent Of warm weather.
to become a great menace to health
by reason of bad Odors and as breed
! ing places for flies and mosquitoes.
Therefore il is very desirable, If
only for aesthetic reasons. TO remove
these collections ut as carly date
as Is practicable After a winter as
free from snow and ice as tho one just
/ passed IL is practicable 10 clean up
very early.
The health department realizing
/ that there is nothing TO prevent an
carly cleaning of back yards. and that
the reputation of our city demands it,,
! have begun to make every effort to
bring about this desirable action. The
number of persons thai wish 10 wait
until we'll along in April before they
begin TO work, is really surprising.
because il has been their custom 10
do il at this time without regard to
the weather conditions. Such per-
sons are greater obstructionists than
those who care nothing about the ap-
pearance Of their premises at any
time, because the latter can be dealt
with by law. while the others must be
Influenced by the power of moral per-
| suasion.
The department calls upon all good
citizens TO cooperate with il to assist
by putting their premises in present
able and sanitary conditions. Il has
been shown beyond reasonable doubt
that flies are responsible for much
sickness and that filthy collection,
especially stable manure and privy
vaults, have ben prolific breeding
places for these pests, and that by
doing away with these breeding
grounds We can wholly do away Will
flies. The old slogan, swat the fly'
With these places as fly breeding cen
ters IL is no wonder that flies arc prev.
alent in all sections of the city. We
shall attempt. as far as possible, tC
have things so protected before tho
fly season opens. that we may hope for
better results than those obtained IN
the past season.
In connection with our remarks re.
garding the futility of swatting the
fly we wish to call attention to the
impracticability Of materially lessen
ing the number of flies by poisons and
the dangers accompanying the use oi
such methods. We quote from "Child
Betterment and Social Welfare" "Oi
forty-seven cases Of arsenical poison.
ing of children reported from fiftecr
States from July TO October. 1914. In
thirty-four the children we're thrc,
years old or less. in thirty-seven tn,
children had drunk poisoned watel
, from a saucer containing ny paper. II
eight cases the children we're poison
ed by sucking the wicks in tin rocep
, tacles containing arsenic. sugar ant
, water. In two cases the children wer
4 poisoned by sucking a sponge usel
to moisten these wicks in poisonou
! fly destroyers. The similarity of IN
: symptoms of arsenical poisoning 4
I those of cholera infantum make
, quite certain that there are a grea
, many more cases than are reported
]