History of Sanitation

HISTORY OF SANITATION 89 ground and beneath the surface, in the house and out of doors. There was only one thing to do—give the city a good cleaning; and that was the only time in history, per- haps, when pressure from the outside forced an almost bankrupt city to observe the laws of decency and sanitation. The various works which had been built up to this time to supply communities with water, had for their sole object the providing of an adequate supply so far as quan- tity is concerned, but gave little thought to the quality of the water, so long as it was clear and cold. The sewers or drains on the other hand were constructed solely to pre- vent a nuisance and with no definite knowledge that an unclean environment and polluted water were conducive to ill-health, while pure water and clean surroundings were conducive to the public health. Some events were about to happen, however, which would awaken the public mind to the dangers of dirt, and that would usher in the present epoch of sanitation.