SANITARY MATTERS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 96, 19 March 1884, Page 2

SANITARY MATTERS.

(to tub editor of tug standard.) Sin,— The time has now arrired whoa all persons who think in any manner upon sanitary matters, must be convinced that too long a period lias elapsed since some efficient moans should have bocn adopted and carried out to provide so large ji 'number as tlie population of Palmevston with " good water" and efficient drainge. But now that much ackuesa is prevalent in this town solely brought about by bad drainage and bad water, perhaps some attention will be paid to these h'iatters. ' It is well known to the medical men, and should be to all educated persons, that' very' many diseases and ayory large amount, of suffering, willibd;: certain to follow up bad drainage and impure watiV. Typi.oid, and other fevers, worms, anil other internal parasites,; diarrhoea, dyaentry, bowel. complaints*' and indigestions of various kinds, are thus oecasioued, and so many other diseases and complaints, that space here will not permit their enumeration; but all 1 these may be avoided by using pure water, and establishing a perfectdrainage system. Unfortunately,, ithe,. two things generally go together ; if the drainage is bid, the slops and refuse water thrown out will drain, into tfie wells, and there mixing- witli' the water,'' the organic matters that should be carried away in the drainage channels, are stored up in the water of the wells until th«yareagaindrankby the persons using the- w.ater. ; It must also he remembered thai no filters yet constructed can remove: sewerage matters from water, and although tho water may look beautifully bright and clear, it inay yet be most poisonous to drink, as it may be absolutely." -teeming'"; with"' both living and dead organic; matter; that'only 'await their entrance to the stomach and other organs of a healthy ■person to begin such 'actions as tend' to the most serioas consequences. So. little can these disease-bringing org*tliisi6'ns he seen' that during the cholera epidemic in- Loudoii there was 1 a well aud pump in Hanover Square, and another in Dldgate, aiid from b6,th these pumps water was drawn that Was thought -'to be .so bright and good looking that people- sent considerable dis-i lances to procure those waters to .drink. Yet, though these waters joplsed so well, they gave" the cholera to 'those persons who drank them, and upon the authorities investigating the cause of these waters being so fatal in their effects, it was found that from defective drains! iivlhe neighbourhood sewerage m.afcfota had entered these wells, ahd contaminated the waters, and thus disseminated the <sholera poison to those , who drank them. Again, it is often that water taken tVom the roofs 'of bouseSj^nnd stored i,n tinks, is sufrificiently pure lor domestic ust. Nothiug is'mbre fallacious,as it should be known t^h:ttall the excreta, or exert- montitions nyattcr.s that iti'e^thrown (Jut, Jure aftci| a? time dried and turned* into^dust, andi that this dust i.s carried by the nir-cur-vpnw upon tjio roofs of the houses, and from there washed by the rain into the tanks, and so stored for being again taken by those using this tank water again into their bodies where it causes many diseases and much suffering. Again, it is not Quite. soj <w.ell Known J that many of the^ germs of "'disease are ext-n»uvjly_ minute living organisms, called Bacteria and Bacill.ce, Microcoeus, &c. : ' J 'These rninule living" 1 «eriuß .''flrfe* the cau^e of tuberculous disease, lead itigto consumption, also erysipelas, scarlet fever, -and many other forms of disease. Those floating about in the : air arc" .vnshed by the ra ; .n into : the ' tanks, and from them drank by the users of such water, occasioning similar diseases to those from which they arose, this causing a wide " Spreading '■ of thes'e complaints by tho use ofc j such Now, lip ■ fivoid, allythis it , --is necessary to ensure Jth'e-iperfVc'tf re-i moval ot all sewerage matters by a perfect drainage system, and then to ~sjjrotide pure water ; fram an; uncon•^taminatcd source.- Althougn-itmaVJbe urged that such a place as Palmerston is not yet able to provide pure water aild good drainage, it must be f a^parentr t to. the, simplest mind that nothing is so "good as health, and nothing- so bad as disease. and prem,ature -leatlu. therefore, it follows that evory effort should be made to" bear such expense as will lead to ther .securing good water and perfect -drainage, for who cau tell which may be the first victim. It may be the one whose life is worth more to us than fi,ny amounfc'bf money. It may be. tbe "liv'ead-winner of thV family. But whoever it ip, H> will be a life too dear to r-ut iu comparison with tho money spent to prevent its sacrifice. Therefore, With' none should the cost of drainage or water supply be held to be worthy of consideration ; and as none can tell who will be the next victim to delay, it thus behoves all to see that no unnecessary procrastination shall be experienced, and that thus much of the preventable diseases shall henceforth bo avoided. Ho, ing that this subject will receive the attention and action of the leaders of opinion here, in which case j these observations will ; not have 'been in vain, — I am, &c, B/M. Curl, M.D.