HH62/2/SUTHER/35

Transcription

[Page] 34

PREVENTIVE MEASURES.
As regards the Air, we must contrive better arrangements for its
regular supply and warming to dwelling-houses, churches, schools,
&c. An alteration will not be effected till there is a greater know-
ledge of its importance and absolute necessity. Time and scientific
knowledge will work this change, as also a better method of planning
and building houses, so that there shall be the least possible amount
of heat lost, and the saving of it by putting fire-places where
practicable, in the centre walls of houses, or heating them otherwise
as shall seem best for the purpose of warming our air, and pre-
venting draughts of cold air. This warming of air is also to be
desired in our churches, from attendance in which, when not properly
warmed, several people frequently get chills or colds of a serious kind.
To stop the amount of Phthisis we must realise the causal con-
nection between the inhalation of foul re-breathed air in low lying,
damp, ill-drained houses, and this disease, which has all over the
world been reduced in amount after better system of drainage of
site, warming of fresh air, and removing of foul air were introduced.
Who shall say, after the figures given, that this or some similar
remedy is not required in our county?
A greater acquaintance with the best methods of sanitary House
construction among our architects and builders, and a greater freedom
of choice in the matter of site, are much required, and it cannot be
too much to ask that for the future no new house shall be permitted
to be erected within the county until its plans and all arrangements
satisfy a Committee of Council, which would have, or strive to obtain,
powers similar to those possessed in Burghs by the Dean of Guild
Court, and issue a certificate for a house when the conditions of health
were satisfied.
Every year houses are being erected in oblivion and defiance of
sanitary laws, with the result that many of them court the intro-
duction of disease, and are invariably successful in their suit. This
must be stopped, both for the sake of the indwellers and their neigh-
bours or visitors, whose health, too, may be endangered, because of
the liabilities of contagion from such factories of disease.
If this be not done, the same crop of nuisances, really preventable,
will always recur.
It ought to be possible to stop the production of such houses;
and for those insanitary dwellings presently recognised, it should be
counted a criminal offence to receive rent for them unless there are
carried out or obtained equivalent advantages in the matter of all
sanitary conveniences, for ventilation and warming, introduction into
or near them of suitable water, and the removal of refuse.
The death of people is accomplished as really and successfully,
though perhaps slowly and insidiously, by contributory causes in
houses of defective sanitation, as by gross and apparent injury, the
infliction of which is punishable as a criminal offence.

[Page] 35

Supplies of Water at present abominably contaminated, and liable
to worse pollution at any moment, as in Embo, Portskerray, Stoer,
&c., should be disused, or less objectionable sources used, and at
all times a look out to prevent contamination should be made in the
case of the best waters.
For the yearly arrival of large numbers of workers, as at the
fishing season, more accommodation is required, and what exists
should be better regulated; and for the large influx of summer
visitors we must ensure that they shall get health tendencies restored
or accelerated, and not disease tendencies intensified as they might
be by people coming to hotels or private houses which are not in a
proper sanitary condition. It has not been unknown in the past for
people to get disease such as typhoid in some of our insanitary
districts when their prospects of a country life seemed to offer nothing
but health.
In the matter of Drainage, our endeavour should be to so arrange
conditions for the disposal of excreta that dirt would be removable
by people individually for themselves, or publicly by scavenging at
periodic intervals, and deposited where it would be the right thing
in the right place. Our complaint at present is so oft repeated
that it is matter - necessary and useful it may be - but in the wrong
place and causing nuisance.
The Road Drains should be used only for surface rain water, and
not as public sewers as they are in so many places. There must
consequently be found a better and less objectionable means of
disposing of slop water of kitchen origin which is not so innocuous
as it is supposed to be after it remains stagnant in our road drains
and ditches. Old disused Cesspools, breathing out abomination and
death, should be carefully filled up, and those permitted to be used
as the only possible alternative should be properly ventilated, and
their connection with house drains thoroughly trapped against the
return of deadly gases to the house.
Farm manure should be better protected from rain and other
water in the vicinity of steadings, and it should be periodically
removed to the fields in which it will be ultimately used, and deposited
as far distant as possible from public roads and houses; and its
nitrogenous gases prevented by a suitable covering of earth, &c., from
injuriously defiling the air and impoverishing its own fertilising
powers.
Much else could be mentioned as possible and desirable, but only
a short summary has been given of the general principles of action
to aim at carrying out, slowly at first it may be, but yet with
persistence because of the important benefits to be therefrom derived.
HABITS. - In the matter of the upbringing of children - men being
cooking animals - how much remains to be done in teaching inexperi-
enced mothers the value of certain kinds of food for the various ages
in health and disease, and also the best methods of cooking to those