HEALTHY AND UNHEALTHY RESIDENCES. 53 



conduce to their own health and that of their families, but all can 

 avoid many serious dangers, arising from badly located or unhealthy 

 dwellings, if these are clearly pointed out to them and they compre- 

 hend the necessity. 



Air and Water Concerning the importance of wholesome 

 air and pure water, too much can hardly be said ; and in selecting 

 or building a house, it is impossible to exercise too great care 

 against the presence of soil, situation or method of construction, 

 which does not meet these conditions of health. In city houses, of 

 course, the great danger is in the foul air which is communicated 

 by and escapes from the sewers, through the often empty waste- 

 pipes, the openings of which are seldom properly closed and 

 securely trapped by the plumber, and still more seldom receive 

 proper attention from the inexcusable carelessness of all the members 

 of the family* And yet, it has been well ascertained that, even 

 more than this, there is no more fruitful cause of diphtheria, and of 

 many other diseases but little less dangerous and deadly. When 

 the house is built on what is called "made ground," that is, where 

 earth, rubbish, manure, and a villainous compound of all other 

 impurities, have been carted and emptied into sink-holes and cess- 

 pools, until they were filled to the level of the neighboring streets, 

 which is the case with many dwellings in graded towns and 

 cities, of course, these impurities rise, permeate, penetrate and 

 poison the atmosphere and the very walls of such a house for years 

 retain the virus and communicate it to the unfortunate occupants. 



Construction of Houses In country houses, on the other 

 hand, the air is generally pure; but the danger arises from sinking 

 wells and cisterns in too close proximity to barn-yards, pig-styes, 

 privies, etc., whence all impurities percolate through the loose soils, 

 and into the water-supply of the family, too often impregnating it 

 with fatal poisonous germs. It is now well known that typhoid 

 fever, diarrhea and dysentery arise and prevail in particular neigh- 

 borhoods from this sole cause. Country villages, in which, as it 

 would seem, almost necessarily, their wells and cisterns are in dan- 

 gerous proximity to the deposits of every species of excrement, are 

 particularly liable to these epidemic scourges. In the west of Lon- 

 don an outbreak of typhoid fever occurred in the parish of Maryle- 

 bone. Early in August, 1873, several children of an eminent West 

 End physician were taken ill of typhoid fever, and it was finally 

 discovered that the milk cans of the farmer who furnished them 

 milk were washed with water from a well infected by a privy vault 

 near by. For this, the only remedy is in building-lots so large that 

 the stables and privies may be removed to a safe distance beyond the 

 water-drainage of the wells and cisterns. Care, in this respect, 

 would save, annually, many thousands of lives. 



It goes, almost without saying, then, that, in building or select- 

 ing a house for your family residence, you should have the neces- 

 sary cess-^it as far from it as convenience will permit ; taking care, 



