The Wilmingtonian., 1886-01-30
What Constituent of the Drink
Ingwater causes Typhoid
Feyerp

Fever?
Typho has been known to occur after the
drlnking of water contaminated by decom-
posing vegetable matter (turnips, in one
instance*) by dycolnposing animal matterCa
turtle, in one instance) also in the autumn
succeeding hot summer, IN which darrh-
GA had been unusually prcvalent and the
unusual fouling of the water-snpply by the
extra quantity Of fecal discharges unter the
these circumstances has been supposed to
have causatise relation to the typho fever
which succeeded it, All this receives expla-
nation Il we accept tue doctrine that ts phoid
lever y caused By bacteria, because bacteria
require for their growth and MULTIPLICATION
nutritive soluton-either IN neral (Such as
Pasteur's) or vegetable, OF animal yery few
y any, OF the many species Of bacteri. being
aple 70 reproduce themselves in great num-
bers in pure water. This last statement
seems to me to be evident to those who have
used the microscope much yet NAV ouote
from high authority as follows Dr.. Robert
Koch, in h = recent address on cholera he-
tore the Imperial German Board of Health
is reported 10 have said: Il wonld not c.r-
tainly assume that the MULTIPLICATION or tho
comma bacillus outside Of the human body
takes place in wel-water or in riycr.water
without any assistance for these fluids do
not possess that concentration of nutritious
substances which is necessary for the growth
of the bacili." Dr.. Koch Was bnw,yar
able to reproduce the conma-bacillus in
meatjuice, and in other nutritiye solutions.
Alter mentioning the growth of bacteria in
stagnant water, and that ''the continuous
how OF water prevents the formation of a
local concentration of nut1tise substances in
the liquid sufficient for pathogenic bacteria"
Dr. Koch further says: "The connection
between the falling of the subsoil-water and
the increase of several infectious diseases, |
would explain as follows that when the sub
saltwater tails, the current that takes place
i'll the subsoil-water is much less significant,
Besides, the quantities on the surface are
much diminished, SO that those concentra-
tionswhich | assume to be necessary for the
growth of The bacteria must much sooner
take place" | venture to suggest that the
evidence we now have Of the causation of
typhoid fever renders it necessary that sub
stitutes for DR.. Koch's diminished quantities
fluids ''on the surface" diminished quantities
Of T'ster IN acells as more directly causative OF
typhoid fever; because that disease is not
freqIently traced to transmission through
tie sir. but is freaael, Ig Traced to sas,f
Dad ~ater SO that, aside from such evidence
as that which present. to you at this time,
we have good reason to believe that in some
way typhoid fever is frequently caused by
the drinking Of contaminated water. The
cases recorded are exceedingly numerous
HOW CAN TYPHOID FEVER BE PREvENTEDP
If the evidence which presented is con
elusive, the reply to the above question may be
stated ID four words, namely Stop drinking
contaminated aoater. This might not prevent
all the typhoid fever but it would appear
that by far the greater proportion of it in
Michigan may reasonable be expected to be
tr
tsminaton OF the various watel-supplies
cannot be briefly stated. but if people caro-
trouble to do this, sanitarans can tell them
how. So lar as it relates to typhoid fever,
it may be that all that is necessary is to des-
troy and keep out of the water all discharges
from persons suffering yrom typhoid fever;
but the difficulty Of recognizing the disease
early euough iu its course is so great, that in
order to do this it will bs necessary to keep
all human excreta, and perhaps the excreta
of soms animals, out of the water-supply.
Most people think they do this now Or pro-
odb1y VIC MOulu hOb d utdbnb d
year in one State from this cause; but l
think we have reason to believe that their
confidence in the purity of the water they
drink is misplaced, aud that consequently
many of them sicken and die. The uumer-
Gus instances where typhoid fever has appar-
emily been caused by drinking-water con-
taminated by decomposin; vegetable matter
indicate that, even if the cause Of the disease
is specific, until such time as that the speci-
iic cause sh Ill be S restricted as not to find
access to water-snpplics, it is important 10
preserve the water irIh contamination by
vegetable as well a, by nal matter.
O'NeilrS "MOnte Cristo''
Thursday evening mex, FeDnaty 4th, IS