DYING FROM MERE FILTHINESS.
The family of a wealthy farmer came under my hands, as physician, one
autumn, in circumstances peculiarly painful and trying. Several of them
had been taken suddenly and severely sick, and one or two were almost
dead before they were fairly aroused to a sense of danger. They lived,
however, quite remote from any village, and were strongly prejudiced
against both physicians and medicine. But a fearful foe, in the shape of
typhoid dysentery, now assailed them, and handled them so roughly that
they laid aside their prejudices for the moment, and cried aloud for
help.
I was soon on the spot, but, oh, what a scene presented itself! As I
have more than intimated, two of the family were already beyond hope.
Others seemed likely to die. What was to be done for them, as I saw
plainly, must be done quickly. On nearly every countenance I met with,
both within the family and beyond its precincts, were the marks of
consternation, and on some, of despair.
In these circumstances--for desperate cases require a desperate
remedy--I sought the counsels of an older physician. He came immediately
and took a survey of the dreadful field of slaughter. On retiring with
him for consultation, he immediately said; "There must be some local
cause or causes for all this. Have you," he added, "been into the
cellar?" When I replied in the negative, he said, "Then we must go there
immediately."
On speaking to the lady of the house, who was among the sick, by the way
of asking permission, she objected, and with a good deal of promptitude
and spirit. However, she at length yielded, and we made a thorough
examination. The results of this examination were such as to confirm
our suspicions. "We need not search further for the causes of a deadly
disease," said Dr. B., and I thought so too.
I have said already that the family was wealthy; but wealth need not
include negligence, and still more filth. It was now September; and I am
quite of opinion that the cellar had not been cleaned in one year,
perhaps not in two. I had seen many farmers' cellars before, but I had
never seen such an one as this. Nor do I believe my consulting physician
ever had, though he was some twenty years older in medical practice than
myself. Nor am I certain that what I may state will appear to you wholly
reliable.
In the first place there were, in abundance, cabbage leaves and stumps
in a semi-putrid state. Next there were decayed potatoes, turnips,
beets, and apples. Then there were in various parts of the cellar
remnants of cider and vinegar, and cider lees--the latter in a most
offensive condition. Finally, there were remnants of barrels of beef and
pork, in a bad state--to say nothing of other casual filth--the whole
contributing to such a stench as I had never before perceived in a
cellar.
The old physician who accompanied me had said, "We need not go farther;"
but our determination was, on full and mature reflection, to know the
worst and the whole, and we governed ourselves accordingly.
Close to one corner of the kitchen was the well, the water in which was
very low, and near to that the sink. And if the contents of the sink did
not find their way, from day to day, into the well, thus adding impurity
to putridity, it must have been in virtue of some unknown law which
stood opposed to the great law of specific gravity and attraction. It is
true that many speak of the earth as having a _cleansing_ power in such
cases; but I know of no power which it possesses of cleaning sink water,
while the latter is passing only five or six feet through it. The
coarser parts may be strained out, but the essence must remain.[F]
But our work was not yet finished. The vault, greatly neglected, was not
far from the well; and so of the pigsty. Nor was it easy to resist the
conviction that there was an underground communication between them.
Then, finally, the house instead of standing on an elevation, greater or
less,--a very common mode of building in New England,--stood in a sort
of concavity, which contained also the barn and barnyard and
woodpile;--connected with both of which was a large amount of decayed
and decaying animal and vegetable matter.
Now after such a review as this, he who could remain in doubt with
regard to the cause of existing disease, especially on its assuming the
form of bowel complaint with typhoid tendencies, must be much more
ignorant of the laws of health and disease than I was. In fact the signs
were unmistakable.
We immediately made our report to the heads of the family, and
recommended a most thorough cleansing, at once. It was easy to see that
we gave great offence; indeed we had anticipated such a result. But we
were not at all intimidated. We insisted on a work of immediate
expurgation, which was finally effected, only we could not put pure
water into the well. But we could and did require that the well water
should not be used for any thing except washing clothes.
The result was a decided and almost immediate improvement in the
condition of the family, except the two already spoken of, and a very
young child. These three died. Some of the rest lingered for weeks, and
one or two for months; but they finally recovered.
It is worthy of remark, moreover, that of the people of the
neighborhood, though they had been excessively frightened and had not at
first dared to come near the house, at least without holding their
breath, not a person among them sickened. The disease began and ended
over the foul cellar I have mentioned; nor has a similar disease ever
since broken out there. The fair presumption is, that they have never
since suffered such foul accumulations to remain through the hot season,
on their premises.
My honest and truly honorable course of conduct, in this instance, cost
me something. Though I was a means of saving their lives, the survivors
never thanked me for the exposure I made of their slovenliness. Perhaps
I was wrong in reporting it abroad; but it was next to impossible to
conceal the facts; and I, for once, did not attempt it. Physicians
sometimes thus stand between the living and the dead, and must expect to
give offence. They are, however, in duty bound to keep the secrets of
their patients' faults as long as they can, unless the greater good of
the public demands an exposition.
But while I lost reputation in this particular family, I have not a
doubt that I gained a strong hold, by this adventure, on the public mind
and feelings. In truth, despite of even some trifling errors, I deserved
it. I had, moreover, during the adventure, acquired a good deal of
practical knowledge, of which, in the progress of my course as a medical
man, I was glad to avail myself.
This was doubtless an extreme case of disease from filthiness; but cases
of the same general character are quite numerous. I have sometimes
wished the public could have a history of these cases. There is an
immense amount of neglect in the departments of cleanliness and
ventilation; and the consequent suffering in the various forms of
disease, is in similar degree and proportion.
I will conclude this chapter with a single anecdote, which, were it
necessary, could be substantiated by a very great number of living
witnesses.
Some fifteen or twenty years ago, a severe disease was accustomed to
visit one of our New England factory villages, and to carry off more or
fewer of its inhabitants. So regular and certain were its yearly visits
and ravages, that not a few were disposed to regard it as a sort of
necessary evil, or, perhaps, as a divine infliction. At length a very
shrewd old gentleman told the people that the troublesome visitor was of
human and not of divine origin; and that if they would attend properly
to their cellars, sleeping-rooms, wells, etc., it would no more be heard
of. At first, they were disposed to laugh at him; but the matter was
talked of and agitated, till a work of general purgation was actually
attempted and finally accomplished. The disease has never re-appeared.
Was all this the result of mere accident? Do our diseases spring out of
the ground? Are they the result of chance or hap-hazard? or, are they
not the heaven-appointed penalties of transgression?
FOOTNOTES:
[F] Farmers, in former times, while making cider, were very slovenly.
When I observed a large amount of filth adhering to their boots and
shoes as they carried the pumice from the vat to the press, I thought of
the worms, insects, and dust, which were ground up and incorporated with
the mass, I sometimes expressed surprise. "Oh," said they, "the cider
will work itself clean!" If so, I thought, and still think, it must be
by the operation of some law not yet discovered. It may work itself
_clear_, perhaps; but to work itself _clean_, is quite another matter.