Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1886-11-17
WEST HAVEN.


The Typhoid Fever Cause.-The Re-
mainder of the Patients Improving
The oyster and Sewage.
DIR. w. G.. Alling said last evening to q
COURIER reporter on the subject of the sick
people in West Haven who, it was thought,
became i'll with typhoid fever from eating
oysters tainted with typhoid fever germs.
said germs being supposed to have come from
sewage: 81 noticed by the COURIER this
morning the announcement of the death of
Mr.. Clinton, one of the persons who were
taken i'll, and who was attended by DR..
Shepard The history of the case is about as
follows: Four weeks ago I was called to at
tend Frank Thomas and daughter, who had
come down with typhoid fever. AS they had
not been away from home, except that Mr..
and Mrs. Thomas attended the Danbury fair,
I considered they had only been affected by
local conditions. Mrs. Thomas was not taken
ill. examined the cellar and the surround
ings and found nothing likely to cause the
disease. There were no cesspools and no
foul places. [ then sent some of the water
of the wells to DR.. Jenkins, of the Agricul-
turaT experiment station, who analyzed it
and reported it all right. The water sent
was specimens from two wells, that from
Mr.. Thomas and some from a well next door
belonging to relative of Mr.. T. The milk
used by the family, which is furnished by
Mr.. Thomas brother, was also exam
ined and found to be perfectly pure
In conversation with Mrs. Thomas the
latter stated that nineteen days previous to
the illness of her husband and daughter
they had eaten heartily of raw oysters bought
of Mr.. Clinton. AS typhoid fever incubates
in about twenty one days, I imagined that
the germs might have come from those oys-
L 1Ia44 L.
from the harbor flats and not from West
river. It is very possible that these oysters
were affected while uncovered at low tide by
fever germs from. sewage, we could not
attribute it to any other source. I believe
that these shallow bed oysters will be ana
lyZed in order to ascertain if they contain
any bacteria. Miss Thomas is convalescing
and her father is out of danger, though he
still had some fever to-day, and the three
Clintons are convalescing. AS it is the gen.
eral opinion that typhoid fever is propagated
by germs from some given case, think some
of these oysters exposed to sewage should
be examined. It is possible that no bacteria
will be found, but an analysis should be
made.
esThe examination of samples of water in
such cases as there is done at the State ex-
pense, the State providing for it in behalf of
the public health. Now I cannot, of course,
say that the oysters were'polluted with ty-
phoid fever germs occasioned by contact with
sewerage, but when typhoid fever occurs
and breaks out as it did in this case among
number of people almost simultaneously
we must expect some cause for it. The well
water, both samples, was reported by DIR.
Jenkins pure and healthful." DIR. Alling in
conclusion said: CT am constitution ally OPP
posed to saying anything detrimental to the
oyster, having. a gustatorial prediction
for the bivalves, but on the score of sanitary
science there is an interesting question in
volvsd in these cases."
The late Mr.. Clinton, who died on Mon
day, was SO years of age and leaves wife
and four children. He was employed at the
buckle shop but occasionally sold oysters.
The report in an evening paper that the
oysters complained of came from West river
and were thought to be tainted with typhoid
fever germs emanating from sewage was
ridiculed in some quarters, it being well
known fact that but few sewers empty into
West river, and these at a considerable dis
lance from the West river oyster beds, and
now that the oysters complained of are
found to have come from the harbor beds,
the enquiry arises, first, were the oysters
eaten by the West Haven peo-
pie in question tainted at all, and
second, if tainted, were they contaminated
by sewage2 These questions will probably
remain open for debate. In the meantime
people will go on eating oysters much the
same as hitherto, especially if they are fat
and luscious, whether they come from the
waters of the West or Quinnipiac rivers, the
harbor, the Sound or from Chesapeake Bay.