Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-05-15

In house upon the mountain-side, at some dis
lance from Plymouth typhoid fever has prevailed for
the last three months. Probably few of the good
people Of Plymouth knew Of the fact-if they did,
they did not suppose II concerned them. Forty feet
from a mountain stream stands the priyy Of this
house. and into its pit according TO the custom of our
race the excreta Of the sick family were thrown. All
this was matter Of course. But cause will not cease
to produce effect out Of regard for customs The
rains came, aud the liquid from the pit overhowed
percoated into the stream. The stream supplies the
town Of Plymouth with its drinking water and thus
the typhoid excreta found their way In highly dilut
ed state into the stomachs of the Inhabitants The
dution, however, not sufficient to render the
poison innocuous the germs of the disease were in
every glass; aud an epidemic Of typhoid fever broke
out among the water-drinking population. There are
now over 1000 cases in the town-in some Instances
four or I'VE In house, about IS have died and 9TH
er deaths are likely to The sickness is prnci-
paly among the poor and restitution adds to the hor-
rora Of the plague,-Phfiadeiphid Record.
Such is the story, in brief, of the deadly
epidemic which has prevailed for more than
a month in Plymouth, place of the size Of
Brattleboro, in the eastern part OF Pennsyl-
vania. To the cause of the visitation, as stat.
ed in the paragraph quoted above, it is evi.
dent from all the information which comes to
hand that the cess-pools of the village must
be added as not less important factor. Be-
fore the introduction of public water sup
ply few years ago, the inhabitants took their
water from wells, and periodically since, when
the public supply has failed, it has been nee
essary to resort to the wells. The place has
no sewers, and the drainage goes into cess
pools. OF the inhabitants, 5000 live on the
hillside which Slopes down to the flats where
another 5000 live. The contents Of the cess
pools are washed down on the flats or stand
and percolate through the soil, and in either
case they reach the wells and contaminate
them. On the Goth OF last March trouble
with the public water supply sent the people
to the wells, the water from which sparkled
and seemed pure, but it was filled with poison
and soon after the deadly sickness began.
We quote these facts because the Plymouth
case is not singular one, except in tho extent
of the mischief which has been wrought
Every season there are cases OF sickness aud
death in country villages and in isolated farm
houses which can be traced to causes precise
ly similar to those which in this instance have
brought plague on whole community.
The lesson is obvious. Now, at the begin
ming Of a season in regard to which unusual
apprehension is felt, every village, every in
dividual householder, every farmer, should
see to it that every source Of contamination
Of both water and air is removed Contami-
mated drinking water is probably the most
deadly agent in producing sickness like that
which prevails at Plymouth, but unclesnsed
privies, reeking barnyards Stops and drainage
emptied on the surface of the ground, and
every manner of decayng stuff which alter
nately soaks in the summers rain and steams
in the sun, are, any and all of them, an hour
ly menace to the health of individuals and
communities.
We mean this warning for Brattleboro in
particular, but it applies equally TO every
place and every individual which it reaches.