HEALTH NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume 101, Issue 16946, 8 November 1926, Page 8

HEALTH NOTES.

RURAL SANITATION. PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS. (Contributed by the Department of Health.) The necessity for as high a standard of sanitation- in rural districts as in towns is essential, if the health of the community is to be maintained. The institution and maintenance of a high standard of sanitation does not or necessity require a large expenditure. In most oases a little forethought in Lho planning and lay-out, followed by some attention later, will prevent objectionable conditions which militate against the well-being of the members of a particular dwelling and react more or less on the whole community. Tho town dweller has from a public health standpoint some advantages over his country cousin, in that he is surrounded hv restrictions which require that his house, when built, shall conform lo certain standards, and bo properly drained, whilst the local authority Lakes the responsibility for providing him with a pure, wholesome, and plentiful supply of water and the removal and disposal of all waste products from the dwelling and generally endeavours to provide conditions which make for health. The responsibility for keeping the premises sanitary, however, rests with the owner or occupier, and in spite of facilities provided it is only too often evident that some people in our towns do not appreciate the value of sanitary conditions nor lake the slightest interest in the health of the inmates of their homes.

On the other hand, conditions in the country are diflerent. The country dweller frequently selects ills site, plans the lay-out, builds his house and farm buildings, provides his water supply, and makes provision for tho disposal of waste products according to iiis own ideas and without reference to those who can assist him to start off along lines which would make for healthy living conditions for himself and family. Fortunately, the question of rural sanitation has during recent years been receiving more attention than formerly, and by-laws arc being brought into operation in different parts of the country, ensuring that various health matters in connection with dwellings shall conform to certain standards. Much still, however, remains to be done, and the greatest progress will lie made when the people as a whole begin Lo take an active interest in sanitary science. It is quite impossible other than lo touch on tne fringe of the various subjects which conic up for consideration, and whilst the major portion dealt with will be rural, other aspects will lie applicable to urban and rural districts alike. Site of tho Home. This should be elevated, sunny, sheltered from prevailing winds, and preferably have a northerly aspecl. Consideration should also be given to the nature of the sub-soil, which should he such as will ensure a dry and therefore healthy site. One of the principal influences of the soil upon genera) health is through soil moisture. Dampness in or near the surface, of the soil may affect the health of those dwelling nearby. Such a soil is cold, and the atmosphere immediately above it is liable to be damp, and this appears to conduce to rheumatism, neuralgia, and diseases of the respiratory tract. The dwelling should be so constructed as to prevent ground air or moisture, or atmospheric moisture entering the building, and to this end the floor timbers should be clear of the ground, efficient under-floor ventilation provided, damp-proofing carried out as necessary, spouting and down-pipes built of good materials and in a workmanlike manner. Lighting and ventilation must also receive every attention. Every consideration should also be given to the position and type of buildings in which the cows, horses, pigs, etc., arc housed, thus helping to reduce the labour incidental on attending Lo Ibcm, and simplifying the prevention of undesirable conditions. Water Supply. Care must be falcon Ihat the water supply is pure, wholesome, and plenteous. If the water is procured from 1 he subsoil, the well should bo sunk in such a position and so constructed and finished on lop that there is no danger of contamination. Where storage is necessary care should be taken that the storage tanks are built of material which will not injuriously affect the water, and are so constructed lo be protected from dust and vermin. They should, however, be in easily accessible positions, and provided with facilities for periodic cleansing. Drainage. The method of drainage disposal must he considered in relation to the local conditions, and always with a view lo the avoidance of conditions which arc objectionable or likely to bo dangerous lo heath. A variety of means arc available under different circumstances, and these may lie briefly summarised as follows: —(1) Discharge direct into the sea or large river; (2) land treatment; (3) liquefying tanks and filter beds. The practice of discharging drainage on lo street channels and road ditches lias been ail too common in the past, and has resulted in most objectionable conditions arising. When, however, Ihc sea is available, or a largo river which it not used as a water supply, there can be little objection, excepting in eerlain cases, to lho discharge of drainage direct into either. Where, however, isolated houses are so situated that natural drainage outfall is not available, a very real problem has to be faced. Surface irrigation or tlm discharge of waste water over the surface of (he land is not a practice to he recommended for lho average private dwelling; nevertheless in the case of houses with a limilod water supply and only a single Citing inside it is possible for the waste water lo he. disposed of on freshly cultivated land, or around vegetables without engendering objectionable conditions or encouraging flies or oilier vermin. Hub-surface irrigation carried out by laying lines of open jointed pipes some twelve inches below Hie surface may be employed. in this ease Hie drainage is disposed of by soakago into the surrounding soil ami also taken up by the roots of surface vegetation. One of the difficulties in this method of disposal is to ensure, that the drainage is equally distributed over Hie whole lines of pipes, and for this purpose it is necessary, erjooptir.g' possibly on sections with a sleep gradient, lo provide a dosing or collecting chamber with an automatic. Hush. Where the sub-soil is porous, a soak-pit may be used, tim main rare, which will be necessary in this case being lo ensure that Hie surface of Hie pit does not ring. The provision of n small, rectangular grease trap, so constructed as

lo permit daily removal of grease, and so placed as lo take the drainage from such inLcrior fillings as the kitchen sink will usually obviate this. In a stiff clay artificial soak trenches and pits may lie constructed, success depending in this ease on the area of trenches and pits prepared, in comparison with the volume of drainage and the means adopted to utilise the whole soakage area. In every instance where drainage disposal is by sub-surfacc irrigation or soak-pit, care must be taken lo ensure that the underground water supplies are not endangered. It should be remembered Hiat the purifying action of the soil is largely dependent 1 upon bacteria, and that this action lakes place almost solely in the upper layers. If carcasses are buried deeply, or if sewage is allowed to enter the soil at several feet below Hie surface, the process of purification is long delayed or checked. A leaking cesspool or broken drain which discharges its contents into the soil at a depth of five feet or more may ser.*susly pollute the ground water, whereas the same material placed upon or just beneath the surface may be entirely mineralised, or all infection destroyed before it reaches a depth of five feet. Trees buried deeply where bacteria action is practically absent remain for many hundreds of years practically unchanged. Liquefying Tanks and Filter Beds. Where a good water supply is available, it is becoming increasingly common in country houses to instal water closets and construct septic tanks. Probably no other sanitary fitting lias been so much discussed and so little understood by the average individual as the septic tank. The impression has got into certain minds that the septic tank is the be-all of _ sewage purification, and, if they but install a septic tank, any liquid which may pass through the tank .can be discharged anywhere without the danger of creating a nuisance. In spite of misconceptions, however, a properly constructed septic tank is a useful adjunct in certain systems of sewage disposal, mainly because of its liquefying action on solid matters in the sewage. The effluent which passes from the iank, although it is still sewage, is nevertheless, now in such a condition as to permit of further treatment either on land or Alter beds. Filter beds for sewage installations to private houses except whore they can lie installed well away from dwellings and be under constant intelligent care, are not, however, to be recommended, because of the possibilities they provide for the creation of unpleasant odour. Disposal of Refuse. The sanitary disposal of refuse, including vegetable refuse and manure, requires every care and attention. Vegetable refuse should, as soon as possible, bo burned or trenched into the ground. The disposal of manure, particularly horse manure, should receive the intelligent attention of everyone interested in ihc well-being of the people. This subject was dealt with in “The Fly Article.” Horse manure provides an ideal breeding ground for flies, and, whilst it may not be possible to eliminate the fly pest completely, it is possible to considerably reduce their numbers and their rate of increase. Remember. —It is most important to realise the value of health precautions in planning and building a. country homestead so as to ensure healthy living conditions for the settler and his family. Serious outbreaks of infectious ■ disease in country districts causing loss of human life have often originated in homes of those living amici insanitary surroundings which, with reasonable foresight, could have been avoided. The breed of stock, grade of seed, and so on, are rightly matters of great concern to the settler but of still greater importance is a sound knowledge of the laws of sanitation and health so as to protect the lives of himself, his family, and his neighbours.