The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-27
THE FEvEa-srRIoKEN ORPHANS.
The Disease on the Decline-Theories
AS to Its Origin.

The Disease on the Decline-Theories
AS to It's Origin.
DIR. K. B. Harris. attending physician OF
the Episcopal Orphans home on Liberty
street. was sssa yesterday with regard TO
the extent OF the scarlet fever now prevail
ing IN the home DR.. Harris said that the
fever first appeared about a month ago,
since which time there have been eighteen
| cases two OF which resulted fatally.
There are or were tWenty-eight children
10 the home. including the two who died,
and this leaves ten more childrel who in all
probability will have to undergo the disease
| The fever has been u a severe type. The
| home has been quarantined and every pre-
caution has been taken TO prevent any
| spread Of the disease outside. The little
girls bear their sufferIngs bravelY. They
! receive every attention, but it is o great
hardship on them to be shut up and cut OH
from all communication with the outside
world.
DIR. Harris said that most Of the cases in
the home are now convalescent and the re-
| covery OF all the sick girls il hoped for.
DR.. Harris said that he has been unable to
trace the contagion to any certain source.
1t was thought at first to have originated
from defective sewerage, but after
thorough examination the sew
erage was found to be in the
best Of condition. The only reasonable
theory now is that some OF the larger girls
were thrown in contact With children who
came from where scarlet fever existed and
in this manner conveyed the infection 70
the home.
Supt. Baker Of the public schools hos
made It rule where scarlet fever was
known TO exist In any house 70 order the
attendance of all children upon the public
schools from that house discontinued, thus
lessening the danger to tine other pupils at
tending the schools as far as possible.
DIR. Harris said that he believed the ex-
tent of the prevalence of scarlet fever in
the city has been greatly exaggerated. The
fever has existed in Savannah for nearly a
year. in spite Of every effort to stamp it out.
In that time there have been only sixty
cases, exclusive OF those at the Episcopal
home, of which, however, number have
proved fatal. DR.. Harris, as chairman Of
the health and cemetery committee of the
city council, has kept CLOSE watch upon that
disease.
The FIRST appearance Of the disease, DR..
Harris said, was at East Broad street aud
Liberty street lane, where two children
were taken with the fever last April. The
disease developed while he was absent from
the city, and one OF the children died the
day after his return. The other recovered
Upon investigation as TO the origin of the
disease it was found that there was
a cesspool or sewer trap just across the
street in front Of a negro restaurant The
father of the children said this had been
their favorite playground. DR.. Harris made
an investigation Of the sewer trap and
found 1t filed with every kind OF filth,
chicken heads and entrails scraps of meat
and bread and other refuse from the restau-
rant, all in a state OF decomposition. There
was not the least doubt in his mind that
these two cases of fever originated from the
filthy sewer trap. The next cases of
which he heard were those of a child
on Duffy street and two chill
dren at West Broad and Anderson
streets, all Of whom died These were over
a mile and a half away from the first cases.
and it was extremely improbable that they
had been exposed to contagion from this
source. Another child died on Waldburg
street shortly afterward.
Another case of child which had been
brought from another city resulted fatally
There have been one or two deaths among
adults from the disease. It continued up to
Christmas, Or. Harris said, since which
time it has declined. Outside of those at
the orphans home there are now only two
or three cases in the city.
DR.. Harris believed the filthy sewer traps
to have been more responsible for the dis
ease than any other cause. The traps are
now cleaned about once in two weeks. Last
summer they were not cleaued quite 80
often. With the increased supply Of water
from the new water works the sewers are
now flushed every night. which is great
aid in keeping them clean.
DR.. Harris idea is that wire screens should
be provided for all the traps 80 as TO prevent
the introduction of filth which now makes
them a nuisance. With wire screens in
front of the traps the filth which 10 now
showed, brushed and blown int them daily
would accumulate on the outside and would
be removed every morning by the scaven-
ger department in cleaning the streets. The
sewer traps are now the receptacles OF filth
and refuse Of every character, from dirty
dishwater to dead cats. The wire screens
cannot be introduced too soon.
Until there is a system of house drainage,
however, ii will be impossible to prevent
the residents in many portions of the city
from making the sewer traps the deposit OF
slops and dirty water, for which they have
no other means of disposing.