New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-25
CAUSES OF TYPHOID FEVER.
Mr.. WEIGHTS VIEWS ON THE SUBJECT.



4 PROBABLE EXPLANiI)E % THE PRHVAL"%cE
OF THE DISEAsF.
To he Edttor Of The TrtOHne.
SIR: great variety of explanations have
been offered for the providence OF typhoid fever III
Brook, bat most of them guesses. To pretend
that d,caylg ;ca in the streets Is suciea; ca loo
fog an epidemic Outbreak in sc,tOn Of great ciiy
when it la, not loSn itself in Other portions Is not
tcnahlc so also to claim that the disease has hecn
contracted during the Mt various health resorts
will not answer bacaIse the persons who hlyo been
seized with the disease spent the summer at may
different places o. which are known 10 Nc l'''
from conditions which might crelt' disease FurVncr
more nearly every has been in the city since n
first of October AMI therefore typhoid fever usually
develops within three ks or even less tin'' II i
manifest that the which have occurred dnrlnS th'
past moath coald not have boon contracted prior 10
October The Brooklyn Health authorities appear 10 uo
satisfied that the AMI milk ~ ppiy OF the PNr"
seized with the maady has not been c0ntaulhac" r'n
any source the Gowanus Canal, foul and pcstent "s
IL is be alleged factor In tee case Oh peF'o
living miles away from it. Heath Commissioner
Raymond admitted that detective plumbing hid peeh
foand in certain houses IN South Brookyn' "ncro
typhoid hal occurred aud from my oxpercIco Ooth IN
Brooklyn and in NeTYork an satisfied that the reco"'
outbreak may be largely ascribc to that cause
Typhoid fever att weak, IN crfcd anu deprc'S'"
persons when they exposed to damp and fon air II
is fo,tere by tue presence Of saturated soil or
foul uuventiated ccsspoos and sewers Inc dehlh Oh
Prince Albert and the serious Illness OF the Prince OF
Wales were 10th due typhoid fever traced TO such
sources Dr. T. q. Janeway, who is specialist In fever
cases and also an experienced santari haTing been
member OF the York Board Of Health, says that
typhoid fever Is probably due To a bacillus contained in
the discharges from the bowels which gain entrance to
the system thron;i the air coming from places Into
winch the discharges OF other typhoid fever patients
have been Deposited through water contaminated by
similar PROCESS. through milk diluted with contain
mated water perhaps vitilel by conilnAatod air.
The fact Dr JanewAy putt contaminated air first in
order shows that holds with Pcttrnocr that air can
convey disease equally with water or milk.
Daring q discussion OF paper by Or. Jancway. on
typhoid fever before tho Couaty Mclcl society. Feb
ruary L. ls-i. Dr. Hoc.hcimcr sail he had invcSti,
gated number OF risr1 "i bHoI III ,,nrnrT,S a,I
found them Usually accompanied hy sanitary d''rct9'
Dr. JaucWiy mentioned the case OF typhoid patient IN
Bellevue Hospital who admitted that during tho week
affected wiki the GgrrhWl Of this disease ana hdd pcd
If. vocation o: pedcr in different portions OF the city,
mrnt houses lie admitted that he had probably visited
forty-c2lt such place, during the week most striking
xpo,urc damp and foul ey haat"ns especially from
nl,hy ceiar~ j.. q rm. -3nlce % ~ rn ir.'r IN mn.
drained sites and ctky drlts with abundant opening,
contaminated cellar air to rise into living rooms AMI
with the roi-ar boxes FOR furnace, I'm the vast majority
~ drawing their supply ~ iir from ainll Shrl
surroundings. not -ugrr.-iu- that We have an annual
outbreak Of tvI bold every f Just about the time that
hnusro d"rs hcgu - start fires IN their furnace, ana 10
shut the widow. for their winter hihernati"n. from
which they cherf hears do IN the spring iu"rt and
cnfcchlrd uy their Ion: stUpoT amid tho facilitating
atmosphere uf mn-t c.ty residences.
HE LoHdoH iaur.t states that typhoid fever i most
abundant In TatI> tac regions where ch'a? lodging
houses nboluu nnI whore A"fc I, most oNrrcro Ndus
In view Ia" late Official revelations regarding the
crowded Ot cheap l"dgus house, I'm THIS city
>uch statement is not cuuspiing - long such con
ltlu, exist IN Sew iura packed lodging houses an
sanitary ieu.uruis and hoIsr- with damp. unWhol"omc
c-lar-t lchooycs every householder 20 look q his
drains" the proycgltd cry 10 EnIl1ndl. and not to
postpone general iuyo,tcation and thorough clean
ing up
IN the recent case, Of typhoid within my own cN
p.ricurc have able to dehou-tr,t" their dir""t
dcpcu !eace urDu objective pImhu-. aHd have been
spcc1lly struck with tlc unusually iou nature "i Inc
81, - -: t. only Yesterday 90 examining H1
M town re.druc, the draft from the sewer into jur
house va. found 90 Doe great "a 20 cyiugui- large
torch and aside the cover OF tho "icnin2 'H
extraordinary force while the stencil 80 foul mat
wa, not deemed -n'c to leave Oh" opening un'"fH'
except 'or the brl"r-t cV1mirIton. -imi tr instances
which have come 20 my kgpwlcls" would Indicate that
the sewers are specially foul ~ present ANA t extra
prr"1utipu. should be taken ~ guard AGAINST The
entrance OF their rA-col4 content TITO d"c.hns+
10 not Vritr titr mist, r1' - i'' 10 warn
ho1sehodrrs what direction 90 cNpcr lsr 80 or.rr
that they may take tue ueccs-'is p,rc'u IONS
CuAEIts 4. NISGATt.