The Portland daily press., 1891-03-19
the TYPHOID FEVER CASES,
Special Report Of the Board of
Health by Or. A. X. p. Neserve.


Incorporated with the animal report of
the Board of Health which was printed in
yesterdays PRESS in the following specla
report prepared by DIR. Meserve of the
Board on the typhoid fever cases that have
occurred during the past year:
TYPHOID FEVER.
Typhoid fever having been somewhat
more prevalent than usual In 1890, the Board
tnought 1t best to try and obtain certain facts
IN relation to each case, to see IL a tabulation
81 al the cases, would throw any light upon
their cause.
Accordingly circular letter was sent to
sach physician with as many blanks as he
nad reported cases. and we are pleased to
report that every physician kindly made re-
turns more or less complete of all but one
case. From the facts contained therein we
make the following report:
The whole number Of cases from Jan. ], 1890,
Number reported as mild. ..................... "a
Number reported ar medium. ................ 8
NUMBER reported as severe. 81
The sanitary condition Of houses in which
=, cases occurred, good. .................... 3S
S .'.......
lsdu.. "a
Number OF privy vaults used. 20
NUMBER OF water closets Observation-Disclosures. A
1Wont-eno cases oi ueIectiVe pumping
were reported, thirty-elght in which no de-
feet was discovered. and five had neither Sc
bago nor sewer connection.
Fifty-four used Sebago water at home, nine
well water and one. cistern water. Many
who used Sebago ct home. when abroad had
drank from other sources.
The milk supply as far as ascertained
Several reports omitted to state Its source)
certainly could not have been In any way re-
lated as a cause, for Of the milkmen report
ed. seventeen supplied one family each, four
supplied Two families each and one supplied
three families.
The number who had been out Of town
within three months Of attack was thirty
one. All but twelve cases had prodromic
symptoms lasting from three to twenty eight
days.
Nine were known to have stopped in
houses where typhoid had existed Within
| i've years.
Eight were attacked in other places and
came here sick. and of the other cases that
mad been out Of town. seventeen had come
Montreal, &c, within four weeks of attack.
According to the reports (and notwith-
standing the fact that In many cases the per-
sonal history Of the patient could not be OBJ
taineol there were only twenty-nine cases
tnat may not have originated In other places.
vi THESE, two may be fairly eliminated. be-
Ing complicated with chronic diseses, which
proved fatal. In connection with the fever,
and which undoubtedly predisposed thereto.
In seeking for the causes In the other cases
we md that ten drank we'll or cistern water,
OF whom six used water from the same we'll.
Eliminating these twelve cases and only sew.
enteen remain; the reports from ten of these
are very meager. and Ii all the facts could
90 obtained, probably many of these would
be found to have originated ftom causes out
side the city or from the use of bad water
from well or cistern. The remaining seven
cases occurred In two neighborhoods. In
one house there were five cases, In one three,
and In four two each.
A review of these facts and figures de-
dueed from tabulation of the sixty-four
cases returned, can lead the reviewer to only
great an immunity from typhoid as could at
this time be reasonably expected, and it is
the opinion of the Board that those who live
In town for the whole year. drink only Seba-
60 water, and do not expose themselves as
nurses Of the sick will entirely escape the
disease.