Evening journal., 1895-10-30
rhe Increase of rgrhoId Fsvsr.


In view o. the recent advances 10
medical science, the increase Of this dread
disease has been quite as unexpected ss
unwelcome. This only gees to show tho
Importance OF pushing forward our
Investigations with the utmost rapie
for many scientific medical men bsli-,.
that they already possess the key to no'
only unlock the cause of diseases Of this
nature, but that with this knowledge
prevention aud cure will speedily follow.
The present outbreak does not In the
lesst dlscredlt the general conclusions
which have been reached by the scientists.
but rather tends to confirm them. It is
seen that the conditions supposed 20 be
favorable to tie disease are widely
prevalent, and that the proper pre-
cautions have not been taken
The returns from ths health boards
from all quarters show that there has
been q marked Increase IN the prevalence
Of this disease In AL regions where the
drouth has bean excessive. Information
comes from Pittsburg shat the Ohio river
and its sources, tbs Monongahela aud the
Allegheny are so low that the drinking
water Of not only Pittsburg. but Of all
the othe. cities on these water courses
has become laden with disease To quote
from one dispatch: "The reports from
Kentucky describe awful sufferlngs for
lack OF water. typhoid fever Is preva-
lent everywhere. and the landscape
without funeral procession Ia view is
rare"
This same conditions prevail, though not
10 SO great an extent, in Washington,
where the Potomac Is lower than
scarcely ever before Tae Warrington
Star says "Dr Stones observations
about cases Of the disease traced directly
TO the use Of polluted wster from
springs and wells, ss well As rivers,
show that the situation In this Vicinity
and especially in the suburban districts,
is serious enough TO cause every house
holder to have every particle Of wator
ard Of milk consumed by the family
boiled before using This simple pre-
csution is almost wholly sufficient TO
prevent the disease, and to neglect 1t 10
an act Of folly. In the meantime tbs
use Of water from old wells or city water
that Is not thoroughly filtered, or better
stilk both boiled end filtered, should be
Abandoned both Ia country and city.
II is thoroughly understood now. that
tho use OF impure water ia the chief
cause OF typhoid fever. as well as Of
many other diseases la Washington,
where the disease Is evidently on the
increase, the health officer cannot explain
why the city should be so affected with
typhoid poison but he points ont that
the chief SOURCES OF infection are slWays
polluted water. polluted milk and
polluted Ice The water Is low In the
Potomac river from which the public
supply IS takea, aud he remarks that
"the refuse up the river has been
dumped along the banks. but on account
OF the low water has not bsen carried FL %
Owing 70 this accumulation OF refuse a
heavy rain, be thinks will "stili further
pollute the stream He tells the people
20 u0I tAo WAN-i ana LtcomAeIuh llC
construction Of filtration works
For some years the typhoid mortality
OF the ospital city has been dlsgracefuily
large The health officer recalls tie
feet that in August, September, Octobor
and November Of last year there were
10 fatal cases Something has bsen
said 10 Washington absut The importa-
tioD Of the disease from other places
the rural districts. the sea shore and
mountain resorts Il ia true the real
dents Of cities sometimes bring HON,
With them % tbs clope OF tho summer
season, germs Of typhoid which they
have taken into their systems with ia.
fected milk or the watez OF polluted
wells 10 the eouutry or At the shore, bui
the continuing high rate OF the dissasi
Ia the city csnnot be accounted for 81
this way Nor Is It probable that It d
caused by the distribution OF milk In th
city from infected dairies in Virginia O.
Maryland The record points TO tn
public water supply as the chief caut'
OF infection, although some cases. doubt
less, have been Imported, ard some ma,
be traced to suburban dairy farms