Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1916-08-23
Story of Vital Importance to Elko
In Saturday Evening Post of Aug. 10;
Herewith Review Of Its Features

| about was the water supply. He was
assured that II was 'coId, pure and
sparkling" The first discovery was
! that the intake of the water supply
was between the city and an institu-
I ton occupied by several hundred in
mates. Your people are drinking
sewage," was the Doctors startling
announcement
/ The Mayor and others implored him
/ TO keep it quiet-that it would hurt
the town.
Sanitation" said the expert" is a
matter of public education. You can
not educate the people on the sly.
should suggest that the outlet of this
sewer be extended at once to a point
below the intake, that a really modern
publication system be adopted for
your city water, and that you make
just as much noise as possible about
it, instead of keeping it quiet.
This water is the cause of your
typhoid. but l shall he surprised, from
what / have seen of the city. If we do
not find other and more potent
, causes"
After a few days. the expert reported
the result of his survey. II created a
tremendous sensation.
First" he said, Il may venture TO
explain why in survey of rural SAM
tation we include so large n town as
Springfield. The reasons are both
statistical and sanitary. " A year
or so ago an epidemic of typhoid fever
broke out by reason of infected food
being served at public dinner. Part
of the guests lived IN the country and
part in the city. The infection was
traced to dish of spaghetti served
with sauce made mostly of milk.
The sauce was prepared the preceding
day by = tynho!d-carry!ng person at
her farm home, and baked at the din
ing hall on the morning of the dinner.
! The Infection came from the country
10 the city, was disseminated over the
! city and back to the country by a city
/ function. Country people buy food in
the city. 1t is often contaminated.
Milk comes from country to city and
is easily and frequently contaminated
Diseases react from the city on the
country. and vice versa. No communi'
ty liveth unto itself alone, and still
less does any community get sick unto
itself alone. or die To itself alone. We
are all members one of another.
; Typhoid Is disease on which we
lay greatest stress. because il is easily
diagnosed. and when you have II you
know It, II is an unfailing clew to
bad sewage disposal. II never attacks
q person who has not eaten or drunk
: the cXcreta of the human body. Now
: you have in Springfield very good
sewage system-as far as il is good
, Unfortunately Il system which dis
poses of less than the whole of the
body wastes of it's population is not
satisfactory. And Springfield falls fai
short of such complete disposal.
! There are in the city of Springfield
: two thousand three hundred and
r thirty closets which are not connected
} with the sanitary system"
His listeners were Mortified. "Whert
are they?" asked the Mayor.
. The expert exhibited a map, or
. which the 1880 open closets were
|, dotted. Most OF them were in the
suburbs and poorer districts. The cx
pert explained that these open closets
| though far removed from the modern
, homes on the Heights, were deadly
| menace to all alike. for they were un
s protected from flies. rats. cats, dog,
( and poultry: that various carriers o
5 disease germs, contaminated in tn,
farrcmoved poorer districts. spread
the germs all over the city.
j. The experts report reused the pee
8 pie. They demanded clcanup--ai
c ordinance compelling everyone to cor
I meet with the sanitary sewer system,
:. They realized II was. for cveryon
!. alike. matter of life and death
Then the slum.ownors got busy
1 They were large mem OF the city