The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1920-09-23
SUBURBAN HAZARDS.


SUBURBAN HAZARDS.
thousands Of your readers have
moved from good sanitary conditions"
reader writes, ''in Chicago to the $3.50
conoltions that prevail in the ordinary
SUBURB. Most Of them, no doubt, like
!. nyselI. have rented or purchased old
pest are only Indifferent. Hardly any
OF us, accustomed to the city looking
a1ter our health, have had any exper-
renee OF knowledge of those things
winch go to make for health in the com-'
munity. am beginning to get some in
formation, and confess that unless my
children are to suffer shall have to get
q good deal more.
Probably hundreds have gone or aTe
gong through similar experiences as
am Hence I venture to give you our
personal history. Maybe you can do
something to wake up the health boards
OF our suburbs. or, if that is impossible
or unethical, give us some advice along
sanitary Ines
i moved to small city about Is miles
out of Chicago last spring. The house
l purchased was built some 40 years ago,
but was of splendid construction, and Is
- ~~ASSAASAAS
down considerably the last few years.
but found the plumbing in fair shape
end had the interior freshly painted and
apered.
II have three children, the eldest
and the youngest 8. and not one of them
had been sick while we lived in Chicago.
For the first few weeks out in the SUBJ
urb Git is one Of the richest about Chi
cago and was considered one of the
healthiest) the children seemed to thrive,
but noticed an enormous number OF
measles cases in the town. About the
middle of June the eldest child was
taken sick. 1t seemed like an attack Of
indigestion at first. Fever was inter-
mittent, and when he did not recover
after day or SO we called in a doctor.
He diagnosed the case as typhoidma-
laria.
about the time, the eldest began to
return to health the two younger
children were stricken in much the same
manner, although they were not so bad
as the first To date we have had six
weeks of sickness in this house.
Now for some questions. AS you
know the method of garbage disposal
in suburbs depends upon the people
themselves, and a great deal Of stuff is
thrown out the back door onto the
lawns. =
Il. Could this fever be carried by flies
and transmitted to our children by spid-
ers.. of which we have quite a number in
this old house? Could mosquitoes carry
the germs?
''2. 1 have had the cesspool cleaned
out, but the sewer backs up into it, or
at least the joint from the toilet Is so
close to the cesspool that some Of the
water is thrown back into the pool. To
my mind the great trouble in suburbs is
the lax disposal Of garbage.
81 have found out since coming here
that there was a typhoid epidemic here
a couple of years ago, and that it was
traced to the milk from a certain dairy,
also to a swimming pool at a town near
here.
1--WE use raw milk but the children
do not seem to care much for 1t, al
though they thrive on Jersey milk they
were supplied with all last winter. Could
the trouble be with the water, or rather
the change in water from that Of Lake
Michigan to that OF the aEtesian well
which supplies this town?
''3. Whom should get to analyze the
water and milk and make a thorough
investigation of the sanitary arrange
,nents on my place? Does this come
under the jurisdiction OF the local board
of health, or is it matter 1 have TO
pay for myself?
For obvious reasons arm not giving
the name of the town in which l live,
as believe this matter is pertinent to
every one who has moved to the country
from Chicago, and goes for all suburbs.
If this sickness keeps up l am afraid
the children will have to give up the
freedom of the country for the health
of the city. A lifelong Chicagoan,
knowing the things that need fixing in
that city, does not feel much like blow
ing the horn while he lives there, but
once let him live somewhere else and
he begins to change his mind. I sup
a wall about the city being much
healthier than the country
The Reply.
l. In order to bring Your letter with
in my limits l was forced to cut out the
details of the illness. There is no proof
the region of Chicago mosquitoes prac-
tcally never convey disease. Flies con-
yey typhoid. tuberculosis and some
2. Artesian water is very apt to be
free from pollution and incapable Of
spreading typhoid:
health department, equipped with a lab
oratory, it will make the examinations.
You are privileged to call on the labora-
tory Of the state beard OF health
we'll founded, except in a few instances.
Health authorities recognize that the
worst conditions now existing are
those which prevail in cities of less than
$4,000 Inhabitants. Such suburban cities,
iii justice to their people. should arrange
for a joint health department, serving
group of suburban towns.
II there. is no satisfactory garbage
service. either burn your garbage or
bury it in your garden. Add a little
lime before covering it.
Some suburban communities get a fair
milk supply by close cooperation with
the health department Of the nearby
city.
Probably the greatest risk lies in the
uncontrolled contagion. About the only
remedy available is great parental vigil
lance. An. alert school board can pro-
tect the school children fairly well.
intuition.
From the Kansas City Star.
Husband-Dearie. that stout lady in