The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-03-19
MORNING NEws SUNDAY, MARCH 49, 189ssxTEEN PAGES

adopted, or for the origination OF disease. il
the de ncvo" theory is preferred, are pre-
cisely the the same. viz: Heat, moisture
and suitable soil. which latter, in the case
ottyphoid fever, is decaying animal matter.
No better culture bed for the propagation
Of the germs Of typhoid fever. or for its
originatiOn could be desired than miles Of
streets freshly shelled during the hottest
months, faithfully watsred by city water
carts ard heated by a midsummer suO.*
In BrunsW wick, according TO the letters ep-
pended, IL is not thought that the shelling
Of the streets did any harm, but there, be it
observed, the Smelling was done in winter,
/ while IN Savannah summer was selected for
that purpose.
/ A letter from Or. S. F. Dupon upon this
3 subject gives the result OF his experience
/ when digging out shells as far back as 1913,
when he lost four OF the hands engaged in
that work from fever, which be could trace
to no other cause and which disappeared
when the work was stopped.
From all this l am forced to the conolu-
sion that the digging, grading and shelling
OF the streets In midsummer seems proba "
to have been concerned in the origin, spread
or continuance OF typhoid fever in Savan-
nah in 1892.
s. II the germ theory is adopted the
probable habitat Of the germ must be
sought out.
In a city like Savannah, 10 which are
travellers from every part OF this continent
and OF Europe, the germs Of disease are not
likely 70 lie wanting. Falling on a paved
street they would be carried under the paw
ing stones by the rains, where they would re-
main until brought 10 the surface, when II
they found suitable surroundings, they
would quickly multiply. Such was the case
last summer
Or falling upon a sandy street, they
would be washed into the soil and would be
exposed during the process Of such work as
pipe laying OF street grading.
But then it must not be overlooked that,
according to the evidence Of DIR. Dupon, the
germs OF disease may be In oyster shells pro-
cured from localities in the immediate vi
oinity OF the city, and the probabilities Of
this being source of contsgion is vastly
increased when these shells are imported
from locality where typhoid fever is conn.,
mon.
So much for the immediate cau-e of the
fever OF 1892, but other sources of cOnJami-
nation have been suggested. as, for exam
pie. the mixture OF small percentage Of
river water with the artesiau water, with
which the city ia supplied.
To argue against the possibility of infec-
tion from this source would be absurd, but
1t is safe to say that its probability is in
Intestinal
The river water was used in the CITY from
1853 until few years ago, altogether for
period Of say thirty-five years, and no such
result obtained during all that time, yet
during much Of that time the source OF sup
ply was much nearer to the city than it has
been in the last few years
or the other means OF the propagation of
disease germs, such as privy vaults, dry
wells, improper sewers. damp aud dirty
lanes, unsaniEarY plumbing, want OF house
drainage, the Btlbo and Ogeeches canals
the drinking Of sewage by COWS, the bath
ing OF children in the water Of sewers the
raising OF the level OF the lanes above that
of the adjoining lots the filthy cellars, cat
tie marts and stables, the dirty houses OF
some sections of the city, the crowded lodg-
ing houses, the undrained lands around the
city and other.things of like character, can
not now speak. They have all been brought
to the attention OF the authorities frequently
for years, but although all OF these, and
other like conditions are elements OF danger,
they do not seem hitherto TO have bean pro-
ductive Of any positive results of a serious
character, but they may have been the steps
which led up TO the fever of 1892; or, in
other words, prepared the soil for It's intro
duotion.
What has been or will be the effect of
covering up the vast filter bed upon which
the city stands with impsrvious pavsments,
and OF the destruction of the shade trees. It
is impossible to say but the possibility of
these being sources OF danger was pointed
out In my pamphlet, "a Medical History
Of Savannah in 1887
Here may be permitted to suggest that
the method of cleaning the asphalt pave
ment by scraping only is In my opinion,
dangerous to health, as it leaves germs of
disease and Irritating matter to be blown
into the air aud inhaled by the people.
These pavements should be thoroughly and
frequently washed.
This is a suitable occasion to draw atten-
ton to the extraordinary sanitary advan-
tages conferred upon this city by the Inn
mense sand bed upon which it is built For
more than a century the whole Of the con-
tents of the vaults were buried in the sand
OF the streets. and during all this
time the people drank drainage water
from wells sunk IN the same soil
without knowing anything of typhoid
fever, scarlet fever, dipbtheriR (see
letter of DIR. Morel in Medical History
of Savannah"). SO thoroughly was the
magnificent work Of this grand filter done.
that although the presence Of the salts com
ing from the vaults and dry wells which
were also permittedl was plainly demon
strable in The drinking water, YET the dis
ease germs we're always excluded. In vari-
Gus ways, we in these later days, are shut
ting off this great filter and interfering
with its usefulness, and the results do not
seem to be to our advantage,
From this careful analysis Of the causes
and conditions which preceded the out
break of typhoid fever IN 1892, am salts
fed that IL was directly due to neglect Of
proper sanitary precaution and disregard
OF those local traditions touching summer
street work, which now amount almost to
scientific certainties, but Indirectly to a
mass OF other causes which have been ac-
cumulating for years.
To prevent the recurrence of an epidemic
Of like character would, am convinced, be
no difficult task in city so hygienioally
favored as is Savannah, and the same meas
ures would undoubtedly have the effect of
freeing the community from typho-malariaI
fever, from diphtheria, scarlet fever and
other filth diseases The same fearessness
and energy displayed by the executive in
*The following streets haYe bsen paved
with oyster shells during 1899: jefferson
street, from Charlton to Henry street.
1922 bushels; length $3.50 feet by ~ feet
roadway.
Jones street, from Tattnall 20 East Broad
street, ll6. 334 bushels; length {, $50 fees by
40 feet roadway.
Bolton street, FROM East Broad to VI est
Broad street, 90,634 bushels: length 8, 22O
feet by 50 feet roadway.
Summarizing the above figures, which
are official, it will be seen that there we're
800 ,440 bushels Of shells, some Of which we're
brought from Baltimore where typhoid