Salt Lake Tribune | 1910-03-29 | Page 4 | Utah's Illness Largely due to Filth and Uncleanliness

Utah's SfJoess Largely Due to Filth and Undeanliness Filth and uncleanllness arc blamed for jnuch of the Illness prevalent In Utah at the present time, by Secretary T. B. Bcatty of the Utah state board of health. In his report for tho month of February. The report says, In part: "Filth and uncleanllness are directly or indirectly responsible for most of the diseases now known to be preventable; these include all contagious or communicable communi-cable diseases arid cause the death of more than two-fifths of the human race. The forms of uncleanllness which exact such a terrible penalty include filthy bodies from Insufficient bathing; filthy houses, from gross neglect of good housekeeping; house-keeping; til thy air, from neglect of ventilation: venti-lation: filthy premises, from allowing tho accumulation of garbage and other refuse, Including unsnnltary outhouses; filthy water, from contaminated surface wells and ditches; and filthy personal habits, such a3 promiscuous spitting. All these deadly and offensive conditions arc easily uvoldable and utterly inexcusable. Nature furnishes an abundance of water with which to balho the body and maintain main-tain clean habitations; also It may be secured pure and free from contamination contamina-tion for drinking purposes. Pure air Is universal, except where It Is deliberately excluded from their houses by people who choose to poison themselves with foul, re-breathed re-breathed air In tightly-closed rooms. "It Is recommended tl)at a campaign against unsanitary conditions shall bo undertaken throughout the state. To make It effective, a house-to-house inspection in-spection of premises should be made. Jix-lsting Jix-lsting garbage accumulations, offensive corrals, unsanitary outhouses, etc., should bo discovered and orders Issued requiring their prompt removal or abatement. It Is especially necessary that this action shall be taken beforo the lly season, as these dangerous pests arc almost exclusively ex-clusively propagated in filth and manure, the accumulation of which should not be permitted. All outhouse vaults should be made fly-proof and maintained In strictly sanitary condition. "Health officers and other town and county authorities are urged to earnestly Join In carrying out theso llfc-savlng measures, nnd the state board of health will assist and co-operate whenever requested." re-quested." The bulletin shows the total deaths from all causes to be with 23 deaths not reported from the previous month, and 12.1 districts reporting no deaths out of a total of 176 towns and districts reporting. re-porting. Localities free from contagious diseases, 75; scarlet fever, 272 cases. 7 deaths; smallpox, 91 cases, no deaths; diphtheria. -12 cases, 2 deaths; typhoid fever, 29 cases, 2 deaths; whooping cough, 132 ensos. S deaths; measles, 25 cases, no deaths; chlckenpox, 110 cases, no deaths; pneumonia. 133 cases, 10 deaths; consumption, con-sumption, 15 cases, 11 deaths.