Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-08-16
Typhoid Fever.

There are several diseases prevalent in New
England, the causes of which are mysterious
and seem thus far to battle all investigation
Among them are typhoid fever and diptheria
1t is very common in the voluminous reports of
some "Health Departments" to ascribe these dis
eases 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 diptheria pre-
vail tenfold more in the most rural districts of
New England where sewers and the use of ice
are almost unknown, than in cities. We have
long been satisfied that the cause of typhoid fe-
yer is of vegetable origin, while the cause of ty-
plus or ship fever is undoubtedly of animal Or
igin.
A recent report of a local outbreak of typhoid
fever in Islington, England, which we find in
the British Medical Journal Of November &c.
1870, is extremely interesting and valuable in
illustration Of this subject. 1t seems that in
July and August, 1870, there was a severe out
break Of typhoid fever in the parish of Isng-
ton, which it was impossible to account for on
any theory of local miasm, bad drainage, or
poor water supply, as none of these causes ex-
listed 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 Semi-circle of
quarter of a mile radius, 1853 cases of typhoid
sons died
Many causes for the sickness were named, all
OF which were easily shown to be groundlesS
until, at last, some one suggested a connection
between the disease and the distribution of milk
from particular dairy. As the investigation
progressed, the evidence became entirely con-
Vincing that this was the true explanation of
the disease. Out Of 140 families supplied with
milk from this dairy, 20 suffered from typhoid
fever. The disease picked out the customers of
this dairy in!separate streets and squares, leay-
ing other houses Immediately adjoining. 1t
attacked females and children, the largest CON
sumers of the milk, out of all proportion to
male adults, and in several instances the only
persons who had the fever in several families
were those who used this particular milk.
The fact seemed to be established that the
milk from this dairy was the cause of the fever,
and the next step was to ascertain how the milk
became contaminated. An Investigation show
ed that the water supply at this dairy was from
an old underground tank. This water tank
was built of wood, and was much decayed and
in part had fallen away. The probability seem
ed to be that the mixture of water from this
tank with the milk was the cause of the fever
The owner of the dairy suggested that as the
milk cans were washed with this water, possibly
enough might remain in them to poison the
milk. The case is quite interesting, as affording
a possible clue TO the discovery of the causes of
this mysterious and fatal disease
A few months since, in this city, there were
several cases of typhoid fever the origin of
which was mysterious, and the suggestion was
made that it was connected with the supply of
milk In that case, the family from which the
mix came mad the fever, and some persons
thought the spread of the disease was due to
contagion. The case we have related from En-
gland may suggest possible cause for the dis
ease in this city, without resort to the doctrine
fpersonal contagion, which the best authors
ties do not ascribe to typhoid fever.-Progidence
Journal.