New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-06-15
THE PLYMOUTH FEVER.
70 the Edftor Of The Tribune.

70 the Editor OF Ihe ITto""o'
SIR: To us who reside at distance from the
actual seat Of the disease at Plymouth, Penn.'
there seems much just cause for remark on
the negligence and carclessness OF the Water
Company In the location OF dwellings within a
fe feet of reservoir OF their water and OF privy sink
within sixty feet OF reservoir above and draining into
It. But one must confess that the analysis OF the water
of the Water Company and OF the we'll OF tho Infected
house. aud Of susquehanua River whence water was
pumped does justify the exploit of science In the re-
marks made GU it. For the water from tho company's
water works showed but a fourteen-thousandth OF
4 grain OF free ammonia to gallon; the
/. s.cond house" well but a two-hundredth OF
4 grain to the gallon while the susquehanna River had
the amount nearly four ard ahalf grans to
the gallon The first two quantities that are often
eoallcd or exceeded In the rain that falls from the
clouds And since the Of tho river water gave no
fever, the amount Of free ammonia apparently mad
nothing to with the fever.
Thu uaIysjs gives of abumnod- ammonia nearly-for
practical purposes-equa parts Of this dangerous sub
stance In the aqueduct water tho second house we'll
vatcr and the river water Yet the aqueduc had but
sgbt excess this substance. The same negative re-
sut IA had as to tho chlorine For this the fifteenth
Of hundredth Of grain IN tho company's water the
twenteth IN tho second house " wclwater. and the
extraordinary quantity OF three and half grains in the
eusuuchanna River water. Hence the analysis OF the
water drank by the Plymouth people, as 1t appears to
me- gives us no cicw TO the source OF tho fever Un
ci or other microbe forms Of the c0mpanys water, az
It was March 25 to the 30th when II ever, the fever
germs were drank, as the snow melted and the rain
washed tho discharges OF the patients with fever at the
"secoud house" into the company's aquednct water.
and as II Is alleged and believed infected some hundreds
Of the dwcers at Plymouth, mile or two below. The
eusQuehanba River waterthe fouest OF those Analysed
was drank from March 20 10 March 26 we are told, with
no Infection Probably this because the asinonia.
sltuminoid ammonia and chlorine came mostly from the
cows horses and other animals ON tho banks Of the
and "a n q
eompanys water did have germs
Il would be interesting to know, yet be done,
what the microscopic germ Is that these patients dis
charge The fever at least OF us at distance,
seems Ike typhoid, In that the patient lies In bed
al the time II seems like the OF Ireland ana
other countries the form Of death and the dscoora
vn ust before or after DEATH and In Its fatality That
fever 10 malignant typhus and at times 1t Is terrific
IN fts death rate. met II once
: medical student I called In an experienced
physician. who had seen its desolatcns In Europe II
was surprise 10 when he said Of many sick In
three days 70 and 50 will be dead" They seemed
slightly sick. Yet they died. and turned 1tvd
they died. after Hfs constant rep ark was until
Il Was stamped out there, :. pure milk and water and
beef to- the remedies and IN bed dsinfectants
IN the house, rather than me iiciues' As been
entti this Plymouth epidemic IL one Of the most in
sssurtye and In an tucrsase OF diseases OF older
eosntr1ee IN our population should be not for
gotten The typhuE typhoids are cmincntiy contagious
5hc Vphofd y lees 20. And 10 me the prevalence Of
e.snesSal trouble that has been so prevalent, and
Vhlea ~ - ~ 'roet II the so-calicd pneumonia"