Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-02-19
TYPHOID FEVER.
Interesting Statements By Stephen Smith,
N. d., Health Commissioner of Neao
York

w. H., He0tH COMMISSIONER ot NeW
York
Typhoid fever is the great annual
scourge of our country. 1t attacks the
high and the low, the rich and the poor.
the resident of the country, village and
city. The family of the most humble
and lowly seems no more liable to it than
the family of the most exalted in wealth
and rank. 1t has no more respect for
the royal family of England than for the
poorest peasants household Prince AL
bert fell victim to it, and to-day the
heir apparent is Frustrated under its re-
morseless grasp.
We may gain some idea of the vast
harvest of sickness and death. which this
reaper annually gathers, from the follow
ing facts. It is estimated that from l00,-
900 to 10000 people annually suffer
from this disease in England alone.
The causation of typhoid fever, though
long enveloped in obscurity, is now we'll
known. 1t is one of the so-called ''ffth
diseases of modern sanitary writers.
It's most ordinary exciting cause is air
or drinking water befouled with excre-
mental matters. 1t is also quite certain
that a person suffering from this fever
NAV himself infect the air of his room
or the water which receives his excretia
with germs of the disease so as to trans
nit it to others. A single case may
thus be the fruitful source of a wide
spread epidemic.
The facts illustrating the origin ofTy
phoids from excremental matters in
drinking water are now very numerous
and very instructive. Every experienc-
ed physician can give striking examples
occurring under his own observation. 1t
not unfrequently happens that the actu-
al source of the disease is very obscure,
and can be discovered only by the most
persistent and intelligent inquiry; but
the scientific student is generally reward
ed with complete success. The follow
ing examples will illustrate the methods
of communicating the fever:
, In a small German settlement in the
upper part of the city there was severe
outbreak of fdysentery and typhoid fever.
A physician called to attend some OF the
| cases set to work to find out the cause.
, On inquiry as to the water supply he
2 was directed to spring on low ground
in the midst of the settlement, so situat-
ed as to receive the surface drainage
? The water was pure and sparkling to the
t sight and taste, and was loudly praised
!, by the owner of the spring. A quantity
: put in bottle and allowed to stand ;
e few hours threw down sediment of mos
), offensive matter The people ceased t.
S use this water, and the epidemic at one
l. ceased.
e In neighboring village typhoid feve
/ broke out, and prevailed with great Vi
" olence in given locality. Search wa
IS made for the cause by the attending ply
1t sician, but in vain. They appealed fo
h aid to the health authorities Of Ne7
/ York; and an expert officer examine
a the history of the outbreak and the lC
N cality, and predicted that a certain hy
ID drant which supplied the inhabitant
If with drinking water communicated q
+ some point with house drains or th
le street sewer. The water pipe was ez
IN amined, and at distance from the by
ID drant a house drain was found leakin
Sc into it at point where they traverse
IN each other. The repair of these pipt
?" was the cure of the epidemic.
as While visiting an interior township
h. this state, famous for healthfulness an
lk the beauty of its scenery, became il
he terested in the history of family whiC
If was suffering from typhoid fever.
as eight members five had perished, al
nd one was then fatally sick On visitir
ID the locality the house was found situat,
on an elevation, and all its surrounding
ur were admirably arranged for healt
* One could readily believe the stateme
We that there had not been case Of sic
,ly ness in the house for twelve years. L
zee following history of the present sickne
on was given: A few weeks before the
TX yer appeared the pump in the well brol
ere and the farmer, being driven with
to work, neglected to have it repaired.
ers Meantime the servant brought the wat
MS from the spring at the foot Of the hi
la which soon became low, owing to t
off drought. He then resorted to a sm
es- brook, and from this source the FAM
as were supplied for two or three wee
ak This stream, higher up, ran through 81
ks. eral farm yards and received the surf;
om drainage The first symptoms of pois
lew by this water was slight nausea and
mild diarrh9a after several days
phoid fever in its worst form was ush
I'M ed in Of the entire family but two.
capped an attack, and they did not !
to the water An examination Of this '
ter revealed sediment of excremen
ars. matters.
zen, The death of Prince Albert by typh
TO fever gave rise to much discussion as
hes the source of the poison. Expert sani
han rians contended that he had been exp
hty ed to sewer gases, or their equivale
Court physicians denied that there '
in any possibility of such exposure at Wi
die sor Castle. where he had spent seve
600 weeks preceding the attack. A care
one search was made of the drains, sew
ICED ETC., of the Castle, but no leakage
possible escape of gases could be disc
the cred. At length an old sewer map
erve the district was consulted, and it
found that before the Castle was b
mes. an old sewer ran across the grour
pre- draining an adjacent settlement. ]
nen, sewer was now explored, and at pt
directly under the library, where
pro- Prince spent much of his time, Il
are was break, allowing the escape of S
that er gases directly into the library.
De- One of the most important lessons
more households to learn is that excremel
matters polluting the air they breath
uent the water they drink will cause typl
fever. 1t should be called .'excren
fever" SO that when the name is spc
lurs- every one is reminded of its cause.
,.ai /