New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-08
Mr. Cleveland does not depend upon the record
of the Republican organs"
Back to the sewer. you rat!
ugdT C4UsES TYPHOID FEVERr

rr CYRUS Edison read an interesting paper last
NIGHT before the Academy of Medicine on Inc
poison Of Typhoid Fever In his opinion, the
causes OF this disease are well known, and it Is
not crcditable TO the intelligence OF the COM
n,unity that il prevails widely as III does
While n majority Of the cases can be traced 10
exposure to wrong conditions outside OF the city,
Dr. Edison made some excellent suggestions IN
regard to simple precautions that can be taken by
every city resident with comparatively little
trouble. Among other things, he recommended
the avoidance Of we'll water, the use of none
but boiled milk, and the careful washing of the
hands before eating
A considerable number of cases of typhoid fever
have occurred recently in Brooklyn, but there Is
no reason TO believe that they have been the
result of unhealthfu conditions in the city it
self The reports to that effect calculated
TO do Brooklyn an injury, and hence they should
be promptly dscreditsd The alarm on account
Of these cases is doubtless greater than it would
otherwise be because of a seml-epiGemic of
typhoid which occurred in that city some
three years ago No evidence produced at
that time, however. showing that local conditions
were responsible for the disease. In the neigh
borhood where it was most prevalent careful
examination OF the sewers was made without dis
closing anything no Sious. theory advanced by
some physicians. that the fever occasoned
by the decaying leaves in the Streets not
received with much favor. and it has certainly
not been supported by more recent happenings
The general opinion upon that outbreak was
unquestionaby that the germs of the disease were
conveyed to the system by exposure in country
resorts during the summer.
Probably the same is true in regard to the
cases that have lately occurred. OF course 1t
is difficult in most cases to trace the disease to
its precise source but the importance of taking
the utmost care in choosing place to pass the
summer months cannot be overestimated. The
seeds OF typhoid and other diseases often
conveyed in the most insidious and unsuspected
manner In connection with this special atten-
ton should be directed to danger in many city
houses which was emphasized by a wellllnown
Brooklyn physician, and which can easily be re-
moved. We allude 10 the sO-caled Improvement
whereby the refrigerator is connected directly with
the sewer The object Of this arrangement, of
course is to avoid the necessity Of emptying the
pan into which the melted ice would flow. 1t is
a convenience for both servants and housewives,
but, undoubtedly in many instances food has
thus been poisoned and disease produced The
physician referred to says that hundreds or lam
lies are in danger from this cause without know
inc it, In all these cases the probabilities are
that traps are provided, but no matter how per-
feet the arrangements of this kind may be, the
danger OF the contamination OF food remains a
constant and imminent source OF peril The eX-
ira trouble which would be caused by abandoning
the direct connection with the sewer and re-
turning to the more primitive method Will be
more than repaid by the freedom from danger
which will result. The necessity of doing this
cannot be insisted on too strongly.