The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-01-07
ADDRESS.
Delivered by DIR. Warrington be
fore the Portage County
Medical society.
What Contagious Disease is Most
Likely to Exterminate the HUI.
man ESRceI

What COntag iOus Disease rs MOST
Likely to Exterminate the HUI.
man Race! c
"I saw a vision in my sleep,
That gave my spirit strength to sweep
Adown the gulf of time.
l saw the last of human mould
That shall creation S death behold, {
As Adam her prime. Campbell.
If the world is to come to an end what will I
be the acting cause of it? We cannot believe
it will be from yellow fever; though it has been
a terrible enemy to the life of man in years gone
by, and its source is not yet known but its visi-
tations have been turned aside, and can be
again, where proper care is taken. When Gen.
Butler had command of New Orleans in 1862,
it was expected, but did not come, because the
streets and drains were faithfully ceansed. A
large body of trees on the north were cut down
so the wind from that direction could sweep
down and carry all offensive odorS into the gulf.
Then the wind would return from the south and
carry everything up the river, far beyond both
sight and smell. The result was, only one case
of yellow fever was allowed to come to the city
all summer, and the disease stopped with that
one case.
The same precautions were taken in Norfolk,
paign of 1854 But in Newbern, North Caroli-
na nothing done to protect the place
against the fever and it broke out in its most
virulent form, and many of the whites and
blacks died.
l have said enough to show that this disease
can be prevented where sufficient care is taken,
and it will be more people get to know |
more about the cause of it. And then there i
are many places in the United States where it |
| has never been. If it should devastate part |
of the world, another part would be free from it |
a part of the year, at any rate, during the winter
season.
| Typhoid fever probably not so much dread |
ed as the foregoing, yet it carries off a large
part of population. But the cause of it be-
| comes better known, the disease itself can be |
better avoided. Some doctors would contine |
he to drinking water impregnated with
excrements of typhoid patients. DR.. Flint
ives at South Boston, N. Y where he
links the disease was taken from well where
number of families got water to drink and for
house use, No other families had the fever ex-
sept those who got water at the tavern well.
These families, who were intimate terms with
the landlord, and went to his well for water
three or four times day. would probably go in
to see the sick stranger who was confined in his
house.
l knew a case similar to this, where the fever
spread from contagion. A young man came
from Cincinnati to the home of his parents in
Goshen, Mahoning county. Before he reached
home he was taken SICK but struggled along till
he reached his parents home, and had hard
spell of typhoid fever. This was new disease
in the place. Two of his brothers took the fe-
yer; one died and one recovered. Many of
the neighbors who came to watch with the SICK
took the fever. large number died, nearly as
many as recovered; and it got into other places
where people did not drink the water from that
!, well, On the other hand, it may be stated, an
epidemic of typhoid fever is witnessed in Kin
songton, where largeL Lcesspools have not been
cleaned in the memory of the oldest inhabiant
and large and filthy sewers discharge their con-
tents into the Delaware river about two hundred
yards above the pipe where the water supply IS
pumped from the same river. In August, 1852
it was shown by reports of physicians that over
200 cases of typhoid was in Wilkesbarre, and
all but few cases were confined to the district
furnished by the water company of that place.
It's reported by physician in Camden that
,6oo, 900 pounds of human excreta is poured
into the Delaware river every day. in the vicinity
where Camden gets its water supply. This city
lies across the river from Philadelphia, and both
cities are included in this calculation.
In July, 1886. a fever broke out in Glasgow,
Penn, among the men who were employed in
the iron works there, and used water from the
same well. About 70 of the hands were taken
with what called typhoid fever. Two young
men, not employed in the works. but used the
water out of the well, were taken with the fever
and one of them died; no one who did not use
u the water from the well had the fever. A greer
scum rose on the water after it had been KEEP
two days corked tightly in bottle. A specimen
of the water was taken to different chemists tc
be analyzed, but the poisonous principle was no
discovered.
Wells are not to be trusted to obtain purt
water for drinking. A company of bushes
men once sunk well to a great depth, SO the.
might have good and healthy water to drink ant
n use. When they obtained water they discovered
II it had soapy taste. They had some of it anal
yzed by an expert, and he told them tt seeme
like water surrounded by livery stables. Nei
ther is river water suitable for drinking. Quee
Victoria had commission appointed to ascer
n tain how far sewer water diluted twenty time
would float in a river before it would becom
oxidized. They reported it might flow one I6
n before two-thirds of the organic matter woul
be destroyed
When the good time shall come when cisterr
will take the place of wells and of river waite
typhoid fever will not prevail as much as if doe
q now. The mortality from it is not very grea
and its epidemics are not very frequent. an
they do not extend many states. This
not the infectc US disease l am looking 70
zi Will it be typhus fever? Let Th
caused from confined air and animal exhalatioI
in jails and on board of ships. Jails and ship
are better ventilated than they used to be. 1t
also called famine fever. But famine is nj
. likely to exist in any considerable part of II
Z world. Therefore it cannot extend SO as to
very formidable. Every advance in civilizatio
helps to keep it back; all sanitary improvemer
curtails its spreading 1t is true, it is contagiou
it can be carried in persons breath or bod
exhaatons; one impart the disease to
SeConu person WITHOUT HAVING IL Aihiseii' ID
r this oppor, unity does not occur very often. d
Hudson tells of four gentlemen who rode in
coach with criminal from the Jail to the cou
room, and every one of the four took the feve
though the Jail bird did not have it, woma
was confined in a dark closet, for week. witt
out ventilation. Two of the neighbors searche
the house and finally got into the closet whe
she was confined but soon came out on accoul
of the stencil. Both of them took typhus feve
and one OF them died, though the woman d
not have any fever. Another case is told of
criminal in Jail who carefully washed and
new suit of clothes put on him he wasstaken