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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 1880)
February, 1880. THE WEST SHORE. 37 the traps whatever. When parties building were advised to have them in, the suspicion that the plantar wanted to make a few extra dollars, was quite sufficient to deter them. A vent-pipe should accompany every trap, and every citizen who has a trap to his sink or water-closet should see to it that these vent-pipes were in and in good order. Should there be some in our city who do not know what a trap in plumbing means, it might lie well, perhaps, to describe one of those in ordinary use. It consists of a tube in the form of the let ter S, and forms part of the waste-pipe of sinks and discharge pipe of closets. The liquid, pass ing from the sink, goes through it, but in doing so, part of the liquid is retained in the crooked tube, which prevents the fetid air from getting through the discharge into the house. In order to carry away the noxious gases which accumulate beneath the trap, it is most necessary that a cur rent ol air should lie established, which will carry lanes, backyards and cesspools be rigidly en forced. Let the sewers, drains and waste-pipes be thoroughly Hushed out, and so amended as to those that can not 1 Hushed out at present, so that they can. Make it compulsory that those who have sinks and waste-pipes should have proper traps and vent-piies. Suppress all badly constructed and dangerous back-houses; wipe out any unnecessary cause of disease in whatever part of the city found. Ordinances are required to prevent a recurrcnce of the nuisances and avoid future danger. An ordinance may lie very well requiring an imme diate report of physicians of certain very danger ous diseases, but one acting as a preventive would be much better, The construction of buildings should also have attention, and when connection is made with sewers, sinks, anil water-closets built in, all the means which sanitary science has devised should lie enforced, to insure snfety. sician, who, armed with authority, without fear, i favor or affection, would inaugurate and enforce a system of sanitary rules and regulations tint would at once clean up and sweeten the city and fully protect from the diseases that prevail from tune to time and that exist here at present. ' . 2 "ave at once a regularly constituted bonid of health, with full power nnd authority to den willi lli,. ..I... I.. .. 1. 1.... ... ........ , i . ., . T" " pimcipai anil de tail, animated by the mind of a thoroughly trained and cxverienced physician. Certain resolutions for llnit ourimst. u.-i.. IhImjI.uuJ .J ...... ... , . . . ,.,,,,,,, ., MMIIUIIK'H i to the Health Committee of the City Council , some few weeks ago, which would have well met Ml thai required. They seem to have been killed, or lost sight of, at nothing has lieen heard from (hem lately. Why they were not patted I,, j perhaps, as easy answered as the question why the bouncing ordinances were not passed. Many gentlemen are sent to the City Council not to do, instead of to do. Perhaps the inconvenience that might result to tome of them or to their friends, li is something in do with their conduct. The" question of esjieusc is at once ruited, which It E23 TIIIC PROVINCIAL INSANE ASYLUM NEAR NEW WESTMINSTER, II. C. From a Photo t-y K. Maynard. with it all the foul gases. Tint is done by a vent pipe, which should lie extended up nlsivc the roof of the house, nnd discharge itself there, but near no window. At most of our citizens have sinks ami water-closets in their dwellings, they, or the public authorities, should see to it that all neces sary precautions are taken, by the eienditurc ol a few dollais, tu insure safety. Ltf all tenants investigate the condition of their houses, nnd if they find that the necessary safeguards for Iheii health arc wanting, let them insist uin an im mediate change, or make it themselves, or move. What should be done by the public to put the city in a proper sanitary condition? The first thing should lie to cause to be made, liy MM tent and skilled persons, a thorough investigation at to the exact condition of streets alleys, lanes, backyards, sewers, draint, waste-pipes, water closets cettpools etc. This Wing done, the next thing to do it lo intitt upon the nlutemcut of every nuisance thai pollute the air ami injures the health of the city. Let clean streets 'ley , These, with such other precautions as those skilled in the science should devise, would insure the perfect health and safety of youi city j ami when accomplished, Poitland, I dare hope, will hold' the lirtt place on this coast lor health, ami per haps will have the lowest death-rale of any city ; in the United Slates. Hut all these sanitary pre-1 cautions ami appliances arc incomplete without the adoption ol a regular plan of obtaining l cu rate tables of vital statistics. There s no sulli i lent mai hincry lo ai i omplish llic foregoing in vestigation and refoi ins. The piun ip.il u-s libilUJf rests with the Chief of Police and Mayor and the lorcc at their command. We have no intention of casting much blame ujion these olh cials, because the Chief of Police has hit hands fully occupied with other matters that are the principal business of a police fone; U side s, ani-: itary duty requires previous special training. The i last remark applies tlso to the Mayor. Mad the ofliceit the naming and lime and the reward for the duly, it might be better performed ; but that it j even doubtful with I lie ordinances now in force In ' the city which are of little value suitable for a village, but not for a city. The fai l it thai the business should be placed under the control of tome thoroughly competent anil experienced phjf- aigument of unanswerable cogency to those Ibat disregard health. The etjiensc of such a lioard should not, however, deter us for one moment, at the amount requited is mi trilling at hardly It) be felt by any pcrton. If we compare the amount it was thought the pioxMed new board would re quire, with the annual expenditure of other cltlet of the United Stales the amount it trilling, a im Lagan-lie, lithium,, .-ipt-iiiN nlmtil so, Is. icr head in her tanilary work. All thai It re quired from Portland it lo clt. iier head, or aliout $1,ixj a year. Who would object lo the expend ing "! N "mail nn amount lo acioiupli.h to mm h good I do mil llnnk one i itircn who It unbiased 4frm would grumble if called upon lo iay hit 10 ctt. which he could hardly ever spend m a bel ter way. I In n let us, with a view to Ihe health of our city, ami that she may take her pnqcr putilion wilh the tittcrhood of other citiet in vital tlalit tks have a iroerly coutlituled and energetic I -mm I of health, animated by the teal of a Wanted, etieriericei and honest physician at health officer. Until thit It dune, Ihe health of our cily la in great peril. If lht Cily Council will nut move in Ihe waller, let the people do to by a public meeting.