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39 1898
dwellings; (10) sewer or cesspool emanations; (11) atmospheric fouling,
from mere coal smoke or from the gaseous emanations of chemical
works or of chemical refuse ; (12) filthy accumulations of domestic
refuse in privies, ash-pits, dust-bins, &c.; (13) undefined pollutions of
drinking water; (14) social position; (15) food (a), mode of feeding,
as that of feeding young infants by means of bottles, and (6) food
keeping, eg., the exposure of food to contamination by telluric emanations
or to emanations from accumulations of domestic filth; (16)
maternal neglect and carelessness in infant management; (17) occupation
of females from home.
From this brief recapitulation it is seen at once that many
conditions which lead to the large annual mortality are entirely preventable,
and can be dealt with, some by sanitary authorities and others by
the heads of households, especially by the women thereof.
Among the former, might be pointed out as one of first importance,
the necessity of paving the entire surface of yards (in so many instances
by a misnomer called "gardens" by their owners, particularly when
attached to tenemented houses) because the frequent pollution of the
earth, either by children, animals, or the drainings of dirty water
from clothing, render them particularly liable to promote Diarrhcea,
either through the inhalation of the foul dust which so quickly forms
in hot or even dry weather, the contamination of the air itself, or the
contamination of the food by the dust or by the fouled air.
It might be added that the paving of these yards is just as
necessary for the prevention of Enteric Fever and Diphtheria.
It has frequently been remarked that Islington has generally
showed a better record for Diarrhoea than most places, and this has
been ascribed to the facts that the houses here have more air space about
them, and are not so crowded together as in other places. But we
must not forget, because these conditions exist, to enforce those others
which are of paramount importance; one of which was formerly, and
to an extent even now is, lost sight of, namely, the concreting of the
ground on which the houses stand.
Dr. Ballard has shown that the Diarrhceal mortality in dwelling
houses built on solid rock is, notwithstanding other unfavourable
conditions, low, and, indeed, almost altogether unnoticeable. The
reason is not far to seek, namely, that such houses are not influenced
by the movements of the ground air, which, it is now recognized, is
most necessary to exclude from dwelling houses.