Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-01-03

La neighboring village typhoid fever
broke out, and prevailed with great vio-
lence in a given locality. Search was
made for the cause BY the attending ply
sicians, but in vain. They appealed for
aid 10 the health authorities Of New York ;
and an expert officer examined the history
of the outbreak and the-loeelity, and pre-
dictcd that ccrtaiu hYdrsnt, which sup
Piled the victims with drinking water,
communicated at some point with house
/ drains or the street savers. The water
/ pipe was examined, and ut distance from
| the hydraat a house drain was found leak
| inc into Il ST q point where they trs -rsed
/ each other. Tue repair of these piT 3
was the cure Of the endemic.
While visiting in an interior township
OF this State, famous for healthfulRsss AID
the beauty Of its scenery, I became inter-
ested in the history Of a fani. ; which w2s
suffering from typhoid fever. Of eight
members i've had perished, and one was
then fatally sick. On visiting the locality.
/ the house was found situated On an eeva-
ton and ST. it e-~- we're s.l4
rabiy arranged for health. One could
readily believe the statement that there
had not been . case of sickness II the
house for twelve years. The following
history Of the present sickness was given:
\ few weeks before the fever appeared the
pump in tue well broke, and the farmer,
being driven with his work, neglected to
have it repaired. Meantime. the servant
brought the water from a spring at the
foot Of the hill. which soon became low,
owing to the drought He then res0rted
to 4 small brook, aud from this source the
family were supplied for two or three
weeks This stream higher up, ran
through several farm yards and received
the surface drainage. The first symptoms
Of poison bY this water was slight nausea
and q mild diarrh9l; after several days
typhoid fever in It's worst form was ush-
cred IN. Of the entire family but two
escaped an attack, ana they did not use
the water. An examination of this V, ter
revealed sediment of excremeHtal mat
tiers
The death OF Prince Albert BY typhoid
fever gave rise 10 much discussion as to.
the source OF the poison. Expert santa
rians contended that ne had been exposed
to sewer gases, or their equivalent Court
physicians denied that there was any pos
sibility of such exposure at Windsor Cas-
tie. where be had spent several weeks pre-
eeeding the attack. l careful search
was made Of the drains, sewers, etc, of
the Castle, but no leakage or possible es-
cape Of gases could Be discovered. At
length an old sewer map Of the district
was consulted and it was found that be
fore the Castle was built an old sewer ran
across the grounds, draining an adjacent
settlement This sewer was not explored.
and at o point directly under the library,
where the Prince spent much Of his time,
there was a break, allowing the escape of
sewer-gssoS directly into the library.
One Of the most important lessons for |
households 10 learn Is that excremental
matters pollutiug the air they breathe, or
the water they drink viii cause thyph0id
fever. 1t should De called .. excrement
fever. 80 that when the name is spoken
every one Is reminded Of IL cause. Far
TOO little attention Is given 70 this most
fruitful source Of sickness aud death in |
cities, towns villages, and by country
residents Excremeutal matters should !
be at once disposed OF, so that they cannot |
by auv possibility taint the air we breathe, !
or the water we drink. This may he |
readily effected BY disintecJ4nts. Of which /
the best Is DRY earth. Drinking-water !
should aiwsy- BE taken from wells OF |
springs situated above the level Of human |
habitatjon-. or % deeply. rs arresian wells, |
that they cannot receive surface drainage. /