Salt Lake Telegram | 1939-03-21 | Page 6 | Advice on your Health

Advice on Your Health By Morris Fishbein, Editor, Journal American Medical Association The rapid evolution of the trailer trail-er not only as a means of transportation, trans-portation, but also as a permanent perma-nent home for many people, has caused the American Public Health association to develop a special committee to consider the health problems raised by this development de-velopment Such problems also obviously concern roadside camps and comfort stations. There is th danger of contamination contam-ination of water supplies by the dumping of sewage and wastes from trailers. There is the necessity neces-sity for those who travel in th trailer to secure safe water and saf milk. There is the danger of the spread of contagious disease by contact between traveler in the camps. There is also the danger dan-ger ot the apread of various insect parasites which travel on and with human beings. Records at Yellowstone park show that 777 trailers came into the park In August 137, in contrast con-trast with 697 in August of 1938. Th average number of people varied from three to four. Some 10 per cent were using the trailers continuously as a home, and about 90 per cent used them merely for vacations. To protect ths public generally against the hazard arising from th us of trailers, the following suggestions are made: In every trailer camp there should be at least on attendant whoa duty it ia to maintain the camp and equipment in a clear, orderly and sanitary condition. He should also make a perma nent record of the nam and address ad-dress of the owner, the license 4 number, the home state, and number of occupants of each trailer. Camps should be located so that drainage will not endanger water supplies. They should be located in areas free from ponds, swamps and similar places in which mosquitoes mos-quitoes breed. Th trailers should not be so close together that they represent a hazard to each other. There should be a clear space of at least 10 feet on each aide between the . , trailers. It is slso necessary that there be a safe water supply with plenty of outlets, and that there be also a place in which the tanks on the 9 trailer can be filled under sanitary sani-tary conditions. All states should prohibit th dipping of water from open springs, wells, streams or lake to fill tanks in trailers. A good trailer camp would also have suitable facilities for showers show-ers and baths, with hot and cold water. Garbage containers must be provided. Th cans ahould be fly-tight made of metal, and ahould be emptied at least every two days Obviously, a trailer camp and Its population is not likely to be an asset in most well-established communities: lt Is reasonable reasona-ble to suggest therefore, that suitable taxation be developed so that th burden of the traveling population shall not fall on local residents.