Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-01-04
Typhoid Fever.
IMPORTANCE OF PURE WATER.

TIE health commissioner of New York,
Stephen Smith, M. d, contributes the
following paper to the independent 1t
is very interesting, aud should be read by
every one who has any regard for his
health:
Typhoid fever is the great autumnal
soourge of our country. 1t AttAoks the
high and the low, the rich aud the poor,
the resident of the country, will sge and
city. The family of the most humble and
lowly seems no more liable ~ it han the
family of tie most exalted in wealth and
rank 1t hss no more respect Tor the roy
al family OF England than for the poorest
peasants household Prince Albert fell
victim to il, and to-day the heir apparent
is prostratrd under it, remorseless grasp.
W. may gain some idea Of the vast
harvest If sickness and death. which thie
reaper annually gather- from the follow
ing facts. 1t is e-tirn ted that frora 10O,-
900 To 10000 peol'r nnua'ly suffer from
this disease in EuQl4ti lone.
The causAtjon of typhr fever, though
long envelopad in obscuti -. il aow well
known. It is one of the ~o-rtlled "flth
diseases" of modern sanitary writer's. It's
drinking water befouled with eXcremeut-
al matters It is also quite c@rt~iu that
a person suffering from this fever may
himself infect the air of his room or the
water which receives his excreta with
germs of the diseBae 80 as to transmit to
Others. A single case may thus be the
fruitful source of a widespread epidemic.
The facts illuatrating the or gin of ty-
,~hOTis frDT,1 m atfpCs HrIp X
ing water are now very numerous and
very instructive. Every experienced ply
sieian can give striking examples occur
ring under his own observation. 1t not
uufrequen,ly happens that the actual
source of the disease ia very obscure, and
can only be discovered by the most per-
sistent and intelligent inquiry; but the
scientific student is generally rewarded
| with complete success. The following
| examples will illustrate the methods of
! communicating the fever:
In a small German settlement in the up
per Part of the city thare was a severe
| outbreak of the dysentery and typhoid
| fever. A physician called to attend to
| some of the cases, set to work to find out
! the cause. On inquiry as to the water
supply, he was directed to a spring on
| low ground in the midst of the settle
ment, so situated as to receive the sur
face drainage. The water was pure and
sparkling to the sight and the taste, and
was loudly praised by the owner of the
spring. A quantity put into bottle and
allowed to stand few hours, threw down
thick sediment of most offensive matter.
The people ceased to use the water and
the epidemic ceased at o.ce.
In neighboring village typhoid fever
broke out and prevailed with great vio-
lence in given locality. Search was
made for the cause by the attending ply.
sician, butgin vain. They appealed fol
aid to the heath authorities of New
York, and an expert officer examined the
history of the outbreak and locality, and
predicted that certain hydrant, which
supplied the victims with drinking water
communicated at some point with house
drains or the street sewer. The water
pipe was examined, and at distance from
the hy drant a house drain was found
leaking into it at point where they trav
ersed each other. The repair of these
pipes was the cure of the epidemic.
While visiting an interior township oi
this State, famous for healthfulness and
the beauty of its scenery. became inter
ested in the history Of family which
was suffering from typhoid fever. o.
eight members, five had persisted. and
one was then fatally sick. On visiting
the locality, the house was found situated
on an elevation, and all its surrounding