Arizona state miner., 1925-08-01
PRECAUTIONS FOR PHOEN|YS HEALTH.

Phoenix has been b0asting about
the elimination of the "ToWn Ditch
so long that it is a common byword
But it is still running. The sewage
it carries, and the mosquitoes it raises
are still raising a helluva noise that
finds expression in the annual exodus
of our summer population.
Uncle Sam, when building the Pan
anna canal, used tons of permanganate
of potash to destroy the breeding
marshes of mosquitoes. He had to do
it to finish his job Now, Phoenix
could do the same and easily rid us
of this pest with little more atten-
tion to detail.
This city is the permanent tubercu-
lar rendezvous of half the T. B. pa
tients in the West, yet in whole
years residence here I have never
seen sputum cup in use, outside of
the hospitals and tuberculosis camp
ing grounds.
Sputum germs never die in this mild
climate. They are spat upon the
streets, sidewalks and public places
to dry up, get pulverized into dust,
and rise again in the air with every
passing auto to be breathed into the
nOstrils and lungs of healthy passers-
by No wonder tuberculosis is preva-
lent and always with us. No public
effort is made to prevent the spread
of disease germs! Half the houses
rented in Phoenix every winter are
the stopping places for people infect
ed with the dread white plague!
Every person in Phoenix suffering
with t. B. should be located and reg
istered by the City Health Board, the
house of the patient ALSO, with num-
ber and street To prevent infection,
the owners or agents who rent houses
to patients should be compelled to
cleanse and fumigate them. NozT. B.
patients should be allowed outside a
certain district, nor inside furnished
apartments containing carpets and
plush furniture, where germs of this
highly contagious disease could lurk
for years to eventually again spread
the contagion to healthy persons.
The city of Phoenix should wash
down every paved street in the city
at stated intervals-not only two or
three streets of the down town dis
trict. Constant washing of the side
walks and flushing of the streets into
the sewers is the only remedy for
perfect health in any city with our
mild tropical climate. A healthy city
soon becomes popular, and as "clean-
liness is next to Godliness", such a
municipality is thrice-b blessed.
While our city dads are promoting
the ultimate object of cutting out the
disease germ breeding ''town ditch,
it is noted that the Water Users AS
sociation is planning to put up fight
against it, because of technical law
favoring public utilities corporations.
In this connection it noted that
the streets bordering the Water Users
Association Building are unpaved-I
doubtless due to influential political
reasons.
These facts are all disclosures that
should insure rush orders for needed
precautions and warrant increased at
tention to healthy morale of the city
of Phoenix, if it is desired to see
growth and prosperity.
With modern improvements for elec-
tricity, radio, light, heat and power
on the farm these days, there will be
less building and housing in large
cities hereafter. 1t will require more
publicity and cOaxing to get the man
of means to build where public utili-
ties are only half way maintained,
and where taxes are higher and health
conditions poor because of congested
pOpulatiOn.-H. B. WATSON.