The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-08-17
TYphoId Fever.
From the Providence journal.

FIom tuc FTOU1Glce JOlTnA.
There are several diseases prevalent IL
New England, the causes OF which arc
mysterious, and seem thus far to battle oil
investigation. Among them are typhoid
fever, and dypthefia. II is very common
in the vOluminous reports OF some Health
Departments" to asCribe these diseases To
foul air from sewers, and one eminent
physician well known throughout the
land, in an elaborate essay, gives the use
of ice as the chief cause Of diptheria,
A sufficient answer to these theorists Is
the fact that both typhoid fever and dip.
theria prevail more in the most rural dis
tricts Of New England, where sewers and
the use of ice are almost unknown, than
In cities, We have long been satisfied
that the causes Of typhoid fever is Of
vegetable origin, while the cause Of ty.
phus or ship lover Is undoubtedly of ami.
NAL origin.
A recent report Of local outbreak ol
typhoid fever in Islington, England,
which We find in the BS9tlSh 4RtdIt0l J04r.
nal OF November 90, 1870, Is extremely
interesting, and valuable In illustration Of
this subject.
1t seems that in July and August, 1870,
there was a severe outbreak OF typhoid
fever In the parish Of Islington, which II
was impossible to account for on any
theory Of local miasm, bad drainage, or
poor water supply, us none of these
causes existed there Besides this most
Of the cases of fever were In the houses
of the wealthy, which were free from the
commonly reputed causes Of this disease.
Within less than asemiCirCle Of a quar-.
ter ofa mileradius, 1853 cases of typhoid
fever occurred within ten weeks, and
thirty persons died
Many causes for the sickness were named,
all OF which were easily shown to be
grOundless, until al last, some one Suggest.
ed connection between the disease and
the distribution OF milk from q particular
dairy. AS the investigation progressed,
the evidence became entirely convincing |
that this was the true explanation of tho |
disease. Out of 140 families supplied with
milk from this dairy, 60 suffered from
typhoid fever, The disease picked out
tho customers of this dairy In separate
streets and squares, leaving other houses
Immediately adjoining. II attacked 70.
males and children, the largest consumers
Of the milk, ont of all proportion to male
adults, and In several Instances the only
persons who had the fever In several
amilies were those who used this par.
iCular milk.
The fact seemed TO be established that
he milk from this dairy was the cause of
he fever, md tho next step was to asCer.
lain how tho milk became contaminated.
An investigation showed that the water
'upply ut this dairy was from an old I'm.
lergrOund tank. This water tank was
built Of wodd, md was much decayed
md in part had fallen away. Tho proba.
)llity seemed TO be that tho mixture
II water from this tank with the milk
vas the cause OF the fever. The owner
II the dairy suggested that IA the milk
ANS were washed with this water, possi.
by enough might remain ip them to
POISON tho milk tJkff ,4....
Tic case Is quite interesting, as afford.
ng possible clue TO tho discovery Of the
'auses oi this mySterious and fatal dis.
use. -
A iOw months since In this city, there
we're several cases Of typhoid fever, the
'rigin Of which was mysterious, and the
was madO that II was connect.
ID with the supply of milk. In that case,
he family from which the milk came had
ho fever, and some persons thought the
ipread Of the disease was due to conta.
zion. ' The case wC have related from
England may suggest possible cause for
hn disease In this city without n resort TO
he doctrine Of personal contagion, which
he best authorities do not ascribc to ty.
,hoid fever