The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-01-17
BUREAU OF SAN
ITARY ENGINEERING
Board of Health Bulletin)

lnIented within the past twelve
months by the creation - a new de-
Ipartment. known as the Bureau of
Engineering.
Modern sanitation calls TO its aid
most of the sciences, but its success
lful accomplishments are due largely
to an uncommon use of common
sense. To the layman of a genera
ton or two in the past, sickness, its
cure and particularly its causes and
the possibility of prevention, were
decided mysteries. The doctor
poor fellow-was put upon a pin
nacle along with his secrets where
he knew he didn't belong, and he
was constantly afraid of falling on
and being robbed of the special rev.
erence or fear that kept him in
place.
But intelligent men, including
(octors, have been reasoning it out
that there must be cause for dis
case. indeed, different causes for
different diseases. They set them.
selves to locate and classify these
causes, and. knowing them, to re,
move them and no prevent illness
end epidemic. They discovered that
most diseases are caused and infec-
tion spread by the transference Of
specific germs. most of which find
their favorite breeding places in
lhlth more or less understandable. Wa
ter polluted may harbor disease
germs and Sewage from human habi-
itations, garbage heaps, and stables,
flies and mosquitoes, are prolific
lsources of disease. And so the safe
iguarding OF the community water
! supply and the proper disposal of
sewage are matters Of vital import
ance to public health, and it was
with the idea of studying these con-
ditions in every art of Florida that
this department was added to the
equipment Of the State Board of
, Health.
In the first place, the services of
! this Bureau and of its chief are alb
, solutely free to every Florida city,
|, village or district. Next, this de-
partment is under the immediate
| personal supervision of a sanitary
engineer, graduate of the Massa-
chusetts Institute of Technology
, who possesses the more or less
unique faculty of translating the
, lingo of science to the understand
! ing of the layman and Of having q
{ perfectly good reason for his con-
illusions and arrestions. He is con-
vincing.
Already this Bureau has made sur.
r veys of the water supply, its source
its quality and distribution, of the
disposal of the community sewage
and the subsequent method of treat
ment to render it innocuous or OF
general sanitary conditions in a con-
siderable number Of Florida towns
, and cities, and in one instance. of a
, large rural school and it's sanitary
condition with suggested plans for
, its improvement One or all of these
matters have been surveyed at Or
lando, Lakeland, Ocala, Kissimmee,
Fort Meade, Wauchula, Punta Cor
da. Bowling Green, Mariana, Chip
, ley, Havana, Tallahassee, Live Oak.
, Perry, Monticello, High Springs.
, New Smyrna, Miami, and the Phin-
, ney Point school at Kissimmee
Park. The reports of these surveys
|, have been fully prepared and writ
ten out and the originals are on file
, in the Offices of the State Board at
| jacksonville, open to the examina-
tion of any interested citizen of
Florida.
Some Of these surveys were made
: at the request Of the individual COM
, munities and some on the initiative
OF the engineer in charge. Mr..
George W. Simons. Jr. Each report
is a carefully compiled resume Of the
conditions investigated. illustrated
with photographs and maps. Each is
concluded by recommendations for
, lettering the conditions and with an
: approximate estimate of the cost of
, construction and maintenance.
, They are, in fact, recital of the
} detects in the water or sewer sys.
tens existing already. or contem.
} plated. with advisory suggestions.
|, based upon the careful examinations
3 of natural conditions, together with
: thorough knowledge of the mos,
: recent daye1onnan.r 80