Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-06-08
TIE DEADLY TYPHOID
DB. CYRUS EDSGN TELLS HOW IT
CAN BE AVOIDED.
People Contract Fever While in
the Country for the
Summer.

the Country for the
Summer.
DR.. Cyrus Edson, of the New York
Health Board, in discussing the causes
which produce typhoid fever and the pre-
cautions which should be taken to prevent
it, said yesterday: "In my opinion more
than one-half of the victims of typhoid
contract the disease while they are away
in the country in the summer time in
search of recreation and health. This is
the reason why there are more cases of
typhoid reported in the late Summer and
fall than at any other time of the year
People come home from the country with
the germs Of the disease in their system,
and when it freaks ont they look for some
local cause. They never dream that they
have been eating or drinking the germs
OF the disease all summer. Nothing is
more discreditabie to the civilization Cf
the nineteenth century than the existence
OF Jvphoid fever OF ali the diseases it is
The iaost easily preventable, not except
ing smallpox. The drinking OF well
water | have found more productive Of the
disease than any other. one source. It's
germs are also taken into the system by
drinking infected milk, or wafer made
from infected ice, or eating infected meat.
Numerous observers have shown us
under what conditions the germ is best
-
perishes, and what agents best effects its
destruction, vet their teachings seem
utterly lost, Tor people go on year after
year drinking polluted water and spread
ing the disease. During the past year |
have visited twenty towns supplied by
water from driven wells in every IN
stance the supply was polluted, and in the
case OF twelve was responsible for an out
break of typhoid fever. The other eight
were wanting only an initial case 10 infect
the water supply and cause an epidemic
After investigation Of many cases,
have come to the conclusion mat typhoid
fever Is rarely due to any other cause than
polluted water, milk, ice or meat. The
first named Is the most common. Typhoid
fever IS due to a germ which medical men
call the bacillus tyVhUsus. This is easily
destroyed by Il sufficient degree Of neat,
marcuric Uichioride and carbolic acid.
DR.. John H. Girdner, of New York, a
short time ago had occasion to visit a
town in North Carolina, and while there
was asked by resident physician to see
! some cases of typnOid in the family OF q
farmer residing in little settlement near
( by The local medical men attributed the
outbreak OF typhoid TO a wave Of the dis
ease sweeping over the country. Dr.
Girdner investigated the water supply and
found that it came from a clear spring sit
uated at the base OF a cliff about ten feet
high. Above the spring the cliff ieveled
oil on a stubhle-field from which q croT
Of corn and some cereal had been cut and
the ground pIowed and narrowed The
direction of the harrow iurrOw was toward
the suring The farmhouse stood on
lower level than the spring or the field
The doctor ascertaiued that the first case
o. the disease occurred in this house. Or
asking the country physician how the cast
of clothing Of the patient was disintected
he was told that it was thrown away at
distance from the house. and the disinfec
ton was left % the sun and fresh air. TIL,
doctor afterwara discovered that slops from
the house were tossed in the stubble-feld
The raia washed the poison down the har
row fUrrows into the spring. Anothe
water supply was obtained, and no othe
cases occurred.
Wells are popular because they ar
convenient Almost anywhere 4 well from
/ sixteen to forty feet deep will furnish clea
and nice tasting water that will impres
z IL
City people visiting the country frequentl
seek for we'll water because they believe i
is purer ard more healthy than the waite
which they get home. The country wei
represents a type described in the Bib
/, under the simile Of a whited sepulcher
This well Is sunk as conveniently near tn
house as possible.
a case occurred last September at
New jersey seaside resort. \ well-know
charitable institution has & country hous
at this place. Six Of its children came t
E this city after their summer recreation
5 and shortly after their arrival develope
, typhoid. investigated the water suppl
, of the place and found it to GENE from
: we'll. 4 sample Of the water was analyze
oy the Health Department chemist, an
3 was shown to be contaminated hv sewag
2 Ice from infected water is another rsourt
/ of danger The typhoid germ is not d
stroyed by extreme cold. The germs thi
caused the Plymouth epidemic were e,
{ posed % a temperature OF 22' below zel
e on the banks of the stream subsequent
infected by them after a thaw.
4 Milk may be the carrier Of typho
3 germs and may become infected in varior
WAYS u may become infected by washir
the milk cans in contaminated well wat
and also by putting the well water in Il
5 milk. The COW may also possess the gerL
e of typhoid. She may or may not develC
u the disease, but even ii the germ UrodGc
q no evil effect on the COW, the typhoid gerr
/, may be developed in the inte5tines Of tt
/ animal who drinks infected water
/ If atmospheric infection we're possibI
2 New York city would have been almC
e depopulsted during the period before Il
e Health Department was able to effect r
Y forms in the methods of plumbing. No
i houses in those days were charged wi
;e sewer emGnations which poured into the
e through their defective and tzapless pip
A l believe that typhoid fever is also fl
% quently caused by infected hands \ wal
,e ing case Of typhoid fever is likely to lea
'. its traces wherever it goes. Doorkno
Il banisters, SIC, may receive sufficient qua
II tity of the poison to infect the hands
S those who subsequently touck them, a
d the germs may be transferred to food
le drink"