Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-06
Points From Which Typhoid Fever
Spreads.
WELLS AND CISTERNS
Danger Spots Pointed Out in Dr..
Keb,r's Report
I N s I D E T Fl E OF Y

AS summarized in The Star. DR.. Kober
recently made an exhaustive report to
Health Officer Woodward on the question
of typhoid fever. In this report the diff
ferent sections Of the city were taken up
in detail and the causes of the late cases
Of fever closely analysed. Speaking of the
various city divisions, the report says:
Il have examined ninety-four cases in
the northeast section, of which five cases
were contracted at summer resorts. Some
of the cases are grouped in certain squares,
suggesting either the existence of local
causes or the possibility that they had fol-
lowed the routes of certain mikmen. The
latter explanation must be excluded, as
there was no common milk supply in the
majority of cases. In my investigation the
fact soon developed that there was a de-
cided incident between typhoid fever and
the consumers of water from certain wells
and The malignancy of the cases appeared
20 depend upon the amount of water con-
sumed: in many of the fatal cases the pa
t1ents had drunk great deal of pump wa
ter ana a number died within week or
two after the attack, showing intensity of
the poison.
Well Corner list and Il Streets North
east.
twenty-five cases, eight of which We're
fatal, were consumers of water from
this well. This would be terrible
mortality, and while 1 am sure that
| investigated all the fatal cases, l
cannot be certain that all the re-
coveries came under my observation. The
pump is located siXty-four feet from
sewe" Qhe streets are unpaved. maple
trees on X street, and as faecal bacteria
Were demonstrated by DR.. Kinyoun in two
samples of the water taken at different
intervals, infection of the well may be
fairly assumed. In spite of such evidence
it is very difficult matter to convince the
average laynlan that clear sparkling
ard very palatahle pump water, can, ana
yery generally is, liable to the
gravest form of pollution: he knows
from ohser, alton that the Potomac
water IS at times loaded with sedi-
Tnent. and that it reaches in summer
often a temperature of over so degrees,
which is far from palatable 10 the poorer
classes. who cannct afford to buy ice. and.
of course, he does not know that well wa
ter in its passage through the soil has been
deprived Of suspended matter without los
ing some of the dangerous properties.
Many of he public wells are liable to sew
age pollution, nor need we wonder when
some of them are actually only within
few feet from sewer. which either by
means of defective construct on or defeC
tive joints from house drains allows the in
trIlsior of tree roots aud thus furnish an
opuot; nifty for leakage.
But soil pollution may have taken place
years before, and there are cases Ike those
of Motcllf in Ireland and DIR. Lows case
II .1siEaSle, ZACH the SpecinC virus
must have remained latent for years, until
some change of environment called it again
into a state Of activity. Efelmlnn has
shown that the Garins If typhoid fever may
retain Their vita,.ty for 1T least a year in
decbmpoS!nS faecal matter: if for year.
why not Tor 4 longer period" The lnrective
of course, upon the presen ,a of the specific
germs. There are, however good reasons
fer assuming that the germs Of typhoid
fever may be present at one tina and not
at another. Take, for instance. a p;,mp To-
Gated near a le1ky sever or house dra IN,
the dejecta have been thrown into the
closet at certain time and pass the leaky
spot in given time. If the well is full to
It's average depth, The germs may pass be-
ycnd the radius drained by it, while if the
water Is low, the conditions are favorable
for admission. But even after the germs
have gained access to a well, they are not
likely to remain there. as the water is con-
stantly pumped out and replenished from
the SIbterranean waters; hence it is evil
dent that wells may he pure one minute
and infected the next. and the specific
germ may again be absent in a day or two,
so that even the result of a ARCHAEOLOGICAL
examination may m.siead us. Fourteen
corner x and LIST streets northeast were
also consumers of Potomac water, but as
a rule. during the hot weather, preferred
the pump water.
Well Corner I'd md G Streets North
east.
"a group of eighteen cases, six of which
were fatal, was found in consumers Of
water from this well, located within eleven
feet from a sewer asphalt pavement and
sycamore trees), but both the bacteriolog-
icaI and chemical examinations furnished
-
recall the various facts likely to influence
the presence or absence of disease germs,
l can only say that while Their presence
would be absolute proof of infection, their
absence in a gwen sample of water is no
indication that they were never present.
"Of the eighteen cases eleven We're exclu-
sive consumers of this pump water, and
seven were also consumers Of Potomac
water.
Well Corner 4th and f Streets North
east.
give cases were traced to this well, which
is located II feet from sewer; maple trees
in vicinity; asphalt pavement on + street;
gravel road On 4th street. Two of these
cases occurred on Croft street. where the
carnations from the sewer were very OF
feHsive In case on Acker street Square
SGD The ceSspcol IN the yard had been over
flowed for thu &c weeks prior to the attack.
Well Corner i1th and + Streets North
east.
Nine cases occurred in consumers of
water from this pump. The meteorological
examination revealed suspicious bac-
terra in the water, and as five OF the nine
cases occurred in adjoining houses on
street between 10th and 18th northeast the
Infection WAS probably conveyed by other
channels.
The first case on l street occurred on
July -, the ext case August IL, followed
ny two other cases III the same house, Au-
gust - and September 10. Another case
occurred close by Ocloher ~. The houses il
the entire row are supplied with box privies,
and the ger eral surroundings very in
sanitary. There was nothing lit common il,
the mix supply, and the fact that the cases
occurred at considerable Intervals Indicated
with more less certainty that the first
case was a cocus Of Infection but how the
germs were carried unless by flies OF
through the air is 4 matter imposs bic tC
determine
In addition to these groups l examined
thirty-iiNe cases in the northeast, of which
seven were fatal scattered over different
PARTS of this section. Some Of the squares,
like No. 121, I'D and I23, presented larger
number of cases. The houses in the first two
squares are built upon made soil while
those in square I23 occupy high and natural