The record-union., 1891-06-27
MURDERED INNOCENTO.
Six Deaths from Diphtheria in an EI
Dorado Family.
School Children Compelled TO Drink
From a Polluted Ditch of Water
Criminal Negligence.

Not infrequently outbreaks of diph-
liberia and other malignant diseases occur
in mountain villages where the drainage
is good, and where pure water can be had
even on isolated farms, where the resi-
dents had been perfectly free from con-
tact with other people-and surprise is
often expressed thereat.
Sporadic outbreaks of this kind have
led many to accept the theory that there
is no absolute exemption.from diphtheria
and typhoid fever-that they are liable to
occur anywhere, even where the most
perfect sanitary conditions are observed.
But it IS safe to say that wherever these
diseases appear there can be found some
local cause thereof.
Some years ago, in family in Napa.
four children We're taken down at the
same time with diphtheria. 4 promi-
nent physician attended them, but could
discover no apparent cause for the pres
ence of the disease. Everything about
the place seemed to be ncatand clean, but
a visitor, who lived IN g town where there
was n good water works system noticed
that the lot was small-that the vault and
well were not more than twenty feet apart.
An inspection OF the well-water was
y
plained-it was so polluted by drainage
from the vault as TO be positively poison
Gus.
Two weeks ago there was mentioned in
the PIacerviIle papers the outbreak of
diphtberia in the family of Joseph Noe,
near the Church mine, some four miles
from FL Dorado, and the death OF one of
the children. Since that time the disease
has progressed with marvellous rapidity
and violence although it is confined to the
one family. The symptoms are those Of
what is called black diphtheria, the most
dangerous form.
The first case occurred two weeks ago,
and up TO last Sunday four deaths had
occurred, those of Nellie and Louisa,
little girls aged twelve and ten years
respectively, Joseph, aged six, and
baby aged about eight months. On Mon
day, Geo. Noe, boy of sixteen, died, and
on the next day he was followed by the
eldest daughter, Sophie, aged eighteen.
The eldest son, William, aged about
twenty-one, is now down with the disease
and not expected to live. The mother is
said to be almost crazed with grief.
People in the vicinity wondered what
could cause diphtheria Ihere-the locality
Is sparcely settled, the drainage is good,
and the air pure. But there was, as
usual, & cause, and it is thus explained
by the Placerville Republican:
THE Noe house is near the Springfield
schoolhouse and during the winter the
members of the family and the school
children all drink water from q small
ditch During the wet weather this
water seemed wholesome, but as summer
approached it became gradually foul, !
with q bad taste and smell. Toward the !
close Of April, the teacher noted this con-
ditiOn, but as school closed in a few DAYS,
ii was not deemed necessary to request !
the Trustees to provide better water 1t |
IL 4I,,r
to use this water, as they were still doing |
SO when the school closed.n
Here we have it, IN a nutshell. The |
ignorant, lazy Trustees of that school !
district neglected to provide the children
with wholesome drinking water, so they |
had to go TO the stagnant pulluted ditch |
to Slake their thirst! 1t would seem that |
persons of the most ordinary intelligence,
who are capable of reading the news
papers, would know better than to en-
danger the lives of people by allowing
them to drink Of such stuff.
And how many of our Intelligent"
well-to-do farmers-men who feel cap
able Of talking politics at Alliance meet |
ings and who go to Grange meetings and
tell all they know (and what they do not
know about fruit culture and grain-rais-
ing-have wells of good water on their
premises? Any person who has visited
the farming communities knows that in
lllc 1ilslOIIlN VI CdSGo-LlIGI6 are Il lew
worthy eXceptions-the wells are within
a few feet of barn-yards or cow-pens, and
of hog-Wallows.
1t requires only the most ordinary in
telligence to teach one that the drainage
Of all such foul places must necessarily
find its way into the well, if anywhere in
the vicinity, endangering the lives not
only of children but of adults as well.
There should be general law on the
subject-sOmething to prevent ignorant
or careless persons from sinking or bor-
ing wells for the supplying of drinking
water) within a certain distance of any
surface cesspool, barnyard or vault If
only those suffered who know no better
than to do such things, there would be
less to deplore, but through their ignor-
ance whole families and communities are
made to suffer.
Let it be borne in mind that wholesome
sanitary regulations are a pretty safe bull
wark against diphtheria and kindred
filth diseases, and that unsanitary condi-
tions invite and encourage them. With
absolute cleanliness and unpoluted water
for drinking, no community need have
much fear Of them. Where the water
cannot be depended on for purity, much
of the danger can be averted by boiling il.