THE PUBLIC HEALTH.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1116, 21 September 1883, Page 3

THE PUBLIC HEALTH.

1 TO TUB KIITT R. Sin—lt is litile more than a year some the residents . f Clyde and its oeighlioui-. I mod betan to sulTer Horn the scarlet feVer epidemic, The ethos are sti 1 apparent in too many cases to u low ■ f its being easily forgotten. It miy lie difficult at pieaent to correctly slate the ex ent of the epidemic, but from tire ihformation received, piobably 6d percent, of the entire population suffered dbeotly, If this statement is anything like correct [and there aie mo e reasons in favour of its lieing so than there are against its correctness)-, the condition of the public health was such (in face of the fact of so wide-spread an epidemic) that the apathy and neglect.or either,manifested by'ithe local governing bony in Hot at once endeavouring to seek out the cause and remedying the evil-, amounted to little less than criminal culpability. A Local Board of Health was appointed late in the season, but it has been in a state of inanition ever since its formation—for what. I ask, has it done to promote pub ic health? Practical! $ nothin , ah hough there have, during the past year, been several deaths from fevers, the seasons have I een allowed to revolve, and another spring dawns upon this otherwise taViured spot (favoured from a climatic point) «ith external c mdiiions less favourable for maintaining good health ; and tame favourable fur either a recurrence of last year’s cpi. demic, or for the outbreak oi some wore than existed last year. This may appear, and doubtless is, a strong assertion, so strong, in fact, that were it made in any large community, where similar evils had to a like been experienced as those through which tnis district past last year, the. public mind would be seized with alarm, if not a panic, and no rest would be allowed the local authorities until all reasonable measures had been taken to prevent anything of a like epidemic recurring. It is to be hoped such an alarm may result here. As to the assertion made, it is apparent to any ordinary ahd Casual observer that where contagious epidemic has been, it is necessary, for the eradication ut its remains, and the destruction of its seed deposits from house, furniture, clothing, and everything likely and unlikely that has been brought into contact with the patient, should undergo a thoiotigh disinfecting and fumigating proce-s. Where such attendee to health laws has been observed, there is not much danger, but where this has been ignored and neglected, rest assured there is a residue of disease germs waiting like a cupboard ghost, a favourable Oppor unity, which is very often a peculiar state of the atmosphere, or condition nt the physical health, and such germs are biought into life in all their hideousness, ano, as sometimes happens, a whole community suffeis through the neglect of oue family, or one single person-. Then, again, there is the almost filthy state of some of the back premises in the heart of the town ; yards, stable, drains, and in some instances the lodgment of foul and noxious matter underneath house floors which are too near the surface of the ground, all of which are in a ccnditiou wo*se than they we e last year, having another year’s accumulation j and in addition to ail tins there is the unwholesome fluid (for I cannot call it chinking water) flowing down our streets and into and through our gardens, the evaporation from which it won.d be dangerous to inhale in the middle of a hot day, e en now. As regards ihe water, the public cannot be too stiohgly urged again-t using it, because of its unwholesomeneas.for b.ol as it is now, eveiy day it is getting move dangerous The reason for this is, that he race and si le-raees are so heavily o .arge I with a ’ variety of deleterous matter, vegeta Li ami s animal, feun tiling and decomposing to an , alarming degree as the days get warmers So f ul docs such water hue me tnat its presence in ihe street is a source of danger j . how much worse when drank ? Refm ring to the race, I noticed in the agreement between the late Clyde borough and the proprietor (as published in your columns some time back) a clause wherein , the proprietor engaged to keep the race in j such condition as to deliver the water into the town at clear as possible. Has he done ms ? Beiure any answer is given, an in- j sped ion of the race should be made, in so , far as his has lem neglected, and evil has resulted from the using of the wa'er. So far is the proprietor morally responsible for , the evil, an-1 perhaps legally also. At any rate it were wise for the pro- , prietor to have the whole race lines cleaned before any further evil results.- I am, eic., ■ Hygeia.