Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-12-12
SANITATION IN THE RURAL
DISTRICTS OF VIRGINIA
The Nam In the tOuntrs Must He IA
Careful ns the city
NlUn.

"'rhc subject of farm sanitation is
one of considerable moment and far
reaching in its full sense" says DIR. w.
g. Chrisman, OF the Virginia Poly
tcchnic Institute. Continuing the doc
tor SAYS. in q letter to The Times
Dispatch:
Sanitation is a broad subject and
Il live one in all wcll-rcrulatcd towns
and cities Is il any less important
in the rural districts" 40. Any less
so on the farms. the homes of the
cOuntry'S youth. upon whose shoulders
the burden Of government is soon to
rest aud in whose hands lies the dcs-
tiny Of our commonwealth? No.
Farm sanitation~ is then Il question
Of vital Importance. as II bears di-
rcctly upon the health OF our citizens.
There are just as grave questions OF
sanitation on the farms as in the large
cities, but we are TO overlook them.
largely due to the fact that nature,
in her effort to adjust all abnormal
Car the farm what men must Ito for
the city. There are Il few very inn
portant points To consider:
Location of buildings with refer
cuc- to drainage and with reference to
each other.
=. The destruction Of dccomposinS
vegetable and animal matter more
especially the latter.
The location of tho barn, pig pens.
closets and chicken houses. where there
Is of necessity a collection Of manure,
aud some drainage thercfrom, should
he carefully considered. The drain
age from these buildings should always
he in the opposite direction from the
dwollin" -huusc, dairy, spring or well,
hc",uS. this drainage water may carry
traaSm' Ssihle diseases from the animals
TO members Of tho family. This brings
MS To the point OF tranSmisSibi" di-
scases from animal TO man. question
of great Importance, yet one too light
ly considered by sanitarians generally,
ana the rural population particularly.
The destruction OF decaying animals
is of vast Importance from two stand
points First, the carcasscS Of animals
having died OF contagious diseases may
b. the source OF infection ana cause
an outbreak of the disease which may
prove serious and costly TO a COM
munty, or even spread to a whole
state, or several States. The recent
outbreak OF foot -and-mouth disease.
which cost the United states millions
of dollars and the individual States
thousands. started from a small source
One animal, III one community. in one
herd in ole county, in one state. Four
teen different states We're directly af-
fcctcd by it. ana tho tnicd States in
its cnireiy, and he live stock industry.
a very important branch OF industry.
The carcasses OF all animals dying
ON the farm should he buried deep
in the ground, covered with lime, and
then earth. and the fresh mound OF
earth also covered with lime. or else
burned, TO prevent the spread of con-
ta&ious disease. If this is practiced
with all carcaSScS then We can make
sure no contagious disease can escape.
There ar" In some counties regulations
prescribed by the supervisors and
health boards tn prohibit the leaving
of carcasses of animals dying from
any disease whatever unburied. \ wise
prccaution to take. but at present
rather a hard one To enforce. Public
sentiment causes til. enactment Of law
likewise its execution.
N""" the SUPERVISORS i'll all counties
ia the state TO ADOPT and enforce rcg,I-
lations requiring tn. burial or burning
OF cnrcaSScs of all animals dying from
diseases Oh farms the health of the
rural population would materially i'm
prove.