ADDRESS. 
Citizens Auxiliary 
SANITARY ASSOCIATION 
OF NASHVILLE, 
O ISE ID JTJJLIT 30tlx, 1879. 
J. P. McGuire, President. 
George S. Blackie, M. D., Secretary. 
J. N. Sperry, Treasurer. 
NASHVILLE, TENN. : 
Tavel, Eastman & Howell, Publishers, 
1879. THE 
Citizens Auxiliary Sanitary Association of Nashville, 
.ORGANIZED JULY 30, 187 9. 
President: 
J. P. McGUIRE. 
Vice-Presidents: 
H. C. HENSLEY First Ward. 
W. R. McFARLAND Second Ward. 
M. B. PILCHER Third Ward. 
WILLI AM PORTER Fourth Ward. 
ROBERT THOMPSON Fifth Ward. 
REUBEN A. CAMPBELL Sixth Ward. 
D. F. WILKIN Seventh Ward. 
I. K. CHASE Eighth Ward. 
JAMES McLAUGHLIN Ninth Ward. 
W. M. DUNCAN Tenth Ward. 
Dr. J. M. HARDING Sanitary District A. 
R. L. MORRIS “ “ B. 
Dr. N. T. LUPTON “ “ C. 
N. E. ALLOWAY “ “ D. 
JOHN TERRASS “ “ E. 
Secretary: 
Dr. GEORGE S. BLACKIE. 
Treasurer: 
J. N. SPERRY. 
Sanitary Inspector: 
THE CITY HEALTH OFFICER. 
Chairman of Nominating Committee: 
Dr. THOMAS MENEES. 
Chairman of Finance Committee: 2 
AUXILIARY HANITAKY AHWX’IATIOK. 
Ward and District Committeem: 
Fir* Ward. W. H. PERRY, 
CHARLES MITCHELL, Ju., 
J. R. ELLIS, 
W. LITTERER. 
Second Ward MARTIN DALTON, 
JOHN LAWREN4 K. 
JACOB JUNGERMAN, 
GEORGE H. WELLS. 
Third Ward. J. L. WEAKLEY, 
J. M. HAWKINS, 
JOHN LUCK, 
. JOHN VOGEL. 
Fourth Ward.—J. T. WAGGONER, 
J. T. BLOW Y 
ANDREW CREIGHTON, 
H. G. GWYN. 
Fifth Ward. W. C. SMITH, 
M. B. TONEY, 
M. J. SMITH, 
A. J. WARREN. 
Sixth Ward. LEONARD PARKES, 
R. W. TURNER, 
FRANK FIELDS, 
JAMES MERRITT. 
Seventh Ward.—HOOPER PHILLIPS, 
Db. W. MORROW, 
W. D. COVINGTON, 
Phof. W. R. GARRETT. 
Eiyhth Ward.—J. C. FERRIS8, 
JOHN WIIORLEY, 
b. j. McCarthy, 
JOHN LUMSDEN. 
Si nth Ward. JAMES CHAMBERLAIN, 
Dk. j. e. bin ns, 
J. BAILEY BROWN, 
W. M. KIBEK. AUXILIARY SANITARY ASSOCIATION. 
3 
Tenth Ward. J. P. BYRNE, 
W. D. MAYO, 
THOMAS MURPHY, 
WILLIAM MOORE. 
Sanitary District A.—W. T. AUTEN, 
B. F. WORLEY, 
C. D. GLOPPER, 
CHARLES WARNER. 
Sanitary District B.—W. WILSON, 
D. M. PARRISH, 
JOSEPH CREIGHTON, 
D. DEADERICK. 
Sanitary District C.—C. A. R. THOMPSON, , 
H. M. DOAK, 
T. D. FLIPPIN, 
JOHN A. MEADORS. 
Sanitary District D.—C. D. BERRY, 
F. HAGAN, 
T. H. MALONE, 
Dr. J. W. MORTON. 
Sanitary District E.—J. L. RICE, 
J. T. WALLACE, 
H. W. HART, 
J. M. SMITH. 
Note.—The Vice-Presidents are Chairmen of their respective Ward and Dis- 
trict Committees. ADDRESS. 
To the Officer* of the Auxiliary Sanitary A tutorial ion : 
Gentlemen:—The immunity of our bountiful city from the 
inroads of pestilential disease is an object which apjoeals to every 
interest, social, domestic, commercial, manufacturing, educational 
and political, within its bounds. It is the duty of every citizen 
to do his utmost to secure this, and by a united and earnest effort, 
we believe it*can loe done. We call your attention to the fortu- 
nate escape of Nashville last year from the plague of yellow fever, 
and to the fact that this escaj>e was largely owing to the exertions 
of the Board of Health and its officers. There was a nice, as Dr. 
E. M. Wight has expressed it, between Yellow Fever and Frost, 
and Frost won, because the sleepless exertions of sanitary officials 
kept down the food on which the Fever would feed. This terri- 
ble fever is again devastating our sister city. And although 
Nashville is a favored locality, although the city was never 
cleaner than it now is, and although it compares favorably in that 
respect with any city in the world, yet we must locar in mind that 
eternal vigilance is the price of freedom, as well from disease as 
from joolitieal slavery. The city, chiin as it to-day is, if neglected 
a week during this weather would become a hot-bed of disease. 
Sanitary reforms must go on unceasingly. Not alone must the 
dreaded yellow fever be kept from among us, hut scarlet fever, 
typhoid fever, diphtheria and the fearful Asiatic cholera must and 
can be made only horrible memories of the past. Five years ago, 
when the Board of Health began its operations, Diphtheria raged 
in every street; nearly even* one of you lost some little darling 
of your family or acquaintance; the rumor of the presence of the 
disease injured your schools and colleges, but sanitary exjs*dicnts 
have almost, if not quite, expelled it from our loorders. All of 
you must have noted the diminution of typhoid fever coses in our 
mortuary rej>orts, and the absence of that shudder with which the 
new's of a scarlet fever case in our neighborhood, was formerly AUXILIARY SANITARY ASSOCIATION. 
5 
received, must be attributed to the thorough watchfulness, and 
wise regulations of the health officials. « Cholera itself is no more 
dreaded in the British cities. We remember when that disease 
was the dreadful incubus of Great Britain, when its approach was 
more dreaded than the plague of the Middle Ages, when on its 
coming, the people fled in all directions, when, literally, grass 
grew on the streets of London, and the tumbrils rolled along the 
streets nightly to convey the day’s dead to nameless graves. And 
now, what is the result of wise sanitation ? The occurrence of 
cases of Asiatic cholera in a city is read of in its morning papers 
by its people, with no more interest or excitement than the news 
of a railroad accident, or the details of an outbreak among the 
savages of Borneo. Sanitation must do the same for Nashville, 
and you can help to do it. 
Our Board of Health is formed of four intelligent and patriotic 
physicians, who give their education, their judgment, and their 
doubly valuable time to do, what ? To ward off disease and thus 
lessen the resources of their own income. This prevention of 
disease they acknowledge to be the noblest aim of their noble 
calling. And to effect this they give their time and talents, ask- 
ing no return from the community but an obedience to their wise 
regulations framed on the experience of the learned physicians 
of the world. No classes of citizens give so much of their labor to 
the public as medical and scientific men. Will you reap the fruits 
of the labors of medicine and science and not aid in the work ? 
The idea of an Auxiliary Sanitary Association was developed 
in New Orleans one year ago. The citizens pledged themselves 
to support the Board of Health in its labors, to carry out their 
views, when their hands were tied by lack of appropriation, to 
act as thousands of pairs of intelligent eyes to enable them to see 
every nuisance that had to be abated, and to give them moral 
support by educating their fellow-citizens in the schools of Clean- 
liness and Precaution. And the newspapers of the week show 
the result of their labors. New Orleans in the end of summer 
free from the least taint of epidemic disease! Other cities have 
followed the example of New Orleans with like Auxiliary Asso- 
ciations, and have been blessed with like success. 
Now you have voluntarily associated yourselves to make and 
keep Nashville, what the self-sacrificing, intelligent men who 6 
AUXILIARY HANITARY ASWXTATION. 
form vour Board desire it to be, a city so clean that the angel of 
death will see the sign and pass over it. 
I. This must be done by giving the Board of Health your 
moral support. each gentleman use his influence, and you 
have much, with the city authorities to continue their liberality 
to the Board, and convince them how true it is that the city had 
better spend thousands of dollars on prevention than lone millions 
by neglect. Ix?t each instruct his less-informed neighbor why 
he should keep his premises clean, that sanitary officers are not 
intruders and spit's, but watchmen and faithful guardians, ami 
that each citizen, no matter how humble his station, can do his 
part towards making the city of his birth or choice, healthy, happy 
and prosperous. 
II. You can aid the Board financially. Much money is not 
wanted. In all probability the City Government will furnish the 
funds the Board asks for its immediate aims. But the very edu- 
cation of the people needs some expenditure for printing, ami 
every one should be informed of the objects of our Association. 
We would also recommend the purchase of at least two hundred 
copies of the Third Report of the Board of Health now in the 
press, for distribution among yourselves and the leading men of 
your wards and districts. You can induce each merchant, each 
farmer and sojourner of your acquaintance to contribute some- 
thing to help the Association in its work, and demonstrate to 
them how abundantly it will be repaid. The Board may call 
upon you lor extra scavenger aid, ami you should be prewired to 
grant it. Let the Financial Committee also go to work at once 
and make a beginning. 
III. There arc many nuisances in the city which should l>e 
abated. While the streets and alleys are kept in |>erfect order by 
the Scavenger Force, yet you must rememl>er that these officers 
have no right to enter a citizen's backyard to abate a nuisance. 
We need sanitary laws to destroy for ever the 2424 surface pri- 
vies on the 1824 acres of the city limits, j»erpetually breathing 
out their vile exhalations and |>oisoning the lower air of the city. 
Remember what a large proportion of your citizens sleep on the 
ground floors, and that they demand pure air. Your aid and 
influence are needed to secure the passage of a law which will 
make a surface privy in Nashville in six months a thing of the 7 
AUXILIARY SANITARY ASSOCIATION. 
past. Then we may calmly read in our papers that the Cholera 
has left Kandahor, or is approaching Bagdad. The news will 
have little interest then, certainly need excite no apprehension. 
IV. Each of you should act as a Volunteer Inspector. Not 
by intruding yourself upon your neighbor’s premises, but by 
quietly watching and noting as you pass to your daily work. 
What you note should be committed to writing and sent to the 
Sanitary Inspector for his Immediate attention. This can be 
done quietly, no names need be used, you need not fear the odium 
of an informer, for the work will be done, without the source of 
the information being divulged. And thus will the City Health 
Officer become like the fabled Argus, with a hundred intelligent 
eyes watching the approach of the enemy at a hundred avenues. 
V. You wMl all become more or less acquainted with the res- 
idents of your Wards or Districts. In each of them there are 
many poor who would willingly carry out sanitary rules, but they 
have not the means. It is your duty to report such cases to the 
officers, that their premises may be attended to, and the expense 
borne by the City or the Association. One neglected nuisance 
may poison a whole Ward, and it is the personal interest of the 
rich to see that the poor are imbued with the virtue of cleanliness. 
VI. Many of you will be astonished to know that scores of 
the very poor die annually in Nashville without having seen a 
Doctor, or getting any assistance whatever. It is your duty to 
see that the sick poor have medical attention. Thus you will not 
alone perform a work of humanity, but you will lessen the death- 
rate and increase the fair fame of your city. Our devoted medi- 
cal men are always willing to attend the poor gratis, but you 
cannot expect them to leave their business to hunt up the cases. 
All you have to do, is to inform yourself of the existence of the 
sick and report to the Health Officer, who has a corps of able and 
willing physicians ready to attend them, and a dispensary to sup- 
ply them with medicine. 
VII. It is your duty to hold yourself in readiness to attend 
the meetings of the Association or its Executive when called upon. 
Of these you will have due notice. You will not be called to- 
gether for any trivial matter, but you must know that when you 
are called, your attendance, your advice and your assistance are 
required, and you are in duty bound to attend, if your health, 8 
AUXILIARY SANITARY ASSOCIATION. 
the nature of your business, or your domestic affairs will |>ermit. 
VIII. Finally, l>e all of one mind, he earnest, watchful and 
industrious, and with (Jod’s help, we will make Nashville, the 
Manchester and the Athens of the South, and the City of Refuse, 
whose air is halm, and whose waters are as the |hk)1 of Bethcsda. 
Respectfully, yours, 
J. 1*. McGuiKK, President. 
Gborgk S. Blackie, M. D., Secretary. 
J. N. SPERRY, 'Treasurer.