Evening star., 1895-10-10
TYPHOID FEVER
Investigations Going on Of Its Preva-
lenoe in Washington.
HEALTH OFFICER, WOODWARD TALKS
Surgeon General Sternberg on the
Causes of the Disease.
WATER AND SEWERAGE

1.-THE unusual number Of cases Of typhoid
fever in this city," said Health Officer
Woodward to a Star reporter today, 'indi-
Gates a state Of affairs in the sanitary
| conditions OF Washington for which we
are trying to find the cause. We have
sent cards to the physicians of the city re-
| questing them to make reports upon re-
| cent cases of typhoid coming under their
professional care. giving as complete his
| tory of what might be called the antece-
dents of the case as possible under the
circumstances. While physicians are very
| busy they are making returns as rapidly
and as satisfactorily as they can and in
dicate general willingness to expedite the
inquiry being made by the department.
Inspectors Making Inquiries.
I'm addition to this we are sending in
spectors to make inquiries in cases of
deaths from typhoid reported to the health
Office, and will extend this inquiry to cases
| of sickness from the disease as we learn
| of them. The Inspector is instructed to
ascertain as much as can be learned of
| the movements of the patient before the
disease manifested itself, whether he had
| been out of the city, what kind Of water is
used in. the house, where the milk con-
sumed comes from, and other details of
| interest. The reports thus made, ii is
! hoped will tend to enable the department
| to learn something definite of the gen.
eral conditions producing the unusual
amount of typhoid.
THE Indications are that it will be found
| that, as far as the prevention of typhoid
| thereof will be beyond the present re-
+ sources of the Commissioners with ex-
| isting limited appropriation for water sup
| ply and sewer extension. We have found
cases of typhoid in families that use Poto-
| mac water and others that do not. AMI 1t
| will be difficult, I imagine, to determine
whether defective sewerage or insufficient
water supply has the greater influence
| upon the spread of the disease. 1t is gen.
orally conceded that the unusually dry
| season has something to do with the mat
| ter. Typhoid is more likely to be prevalent
| during seasons of severe drought and low
| water than otherwise, all other condi-
! tions being equal. The wells drain a larger
| surface area at such times and the volume
of water being smaller there is likely to
| be a greater concentration of bacteria in
| the water.
There is no occasion for undue alarm
over the situation, if the public follows the
| Instructions laid down for their guidance
| The lines are clearly stated, within which
| prevention lies and the rules have been
| published in The Star. Danger of the
| spread of the disease in families where
| there is one case can be avoided by proper
precautions"
Surgeon General Sternberg of the army
| said to a Star reporter today that he was
not prepared to discuss the question of the
cause or causes of the prevalence of ty
phoid fever in Washington because he had
| never investigated the subject. II am con-
| WINGED, however," he said, that to a con-
| siderable extent the prevalence of typhoid
| fever in this city is due to the want of
| proper sewerage in certain portions of the
city, to the continued use of wells, the
| water of which comes from contaminated
/
| tested against repeatedly by sanitarians.
| In addition to this, it Is not improbable
| that a certain proportion of cases may be
| in individuals who have become infected
| while absent from the city. The develop
| lnent of typhoid fever depends not only
| upon the introduction Of the typhoid bacil-
ius by means of contaminated water or
| milk, but also upon accessory causes, by
| which the vital resisting power is reduced.
Among these are exposure to insanitary
| conditions, insufficient or improper food
| Cverwork, either mental or physical, etc.
The young are especially subject to infec-
/ ton. The question as to whether the con-
| siderable number of cases reported to be
| now prevailing is due to contamination of
| the general water supply is one which
| have not had an opportunity to investigate,
| but / judge that the investigation now be-
| ing made will show that 1t is rather due to
| local insanitary conditions. and to the use
| of contaminated well water, or, possibly, of
| milk from dairies where insantary condi-
| tions prevail. The use of boiled water and
| sterilized milk will reduce the danger of
infection to a minimum The prevalence of
| typhoid fever i'll the army during the past
| year has been very slight, owing to the
| careful attention given to the maintenance
| of pure water supply, or. in cases where
| this Is impracticable, to the precautions
| taken in the way of boiling water for drink
| ing purposes when its purity is open to
| suspicion
| Flushing Sewers.
| A well-known physician of the city
| writes to The Star suggesting that sani-
| tary conditions would be vastly improved
! If the Commissioners should order the
| fire department to flush the sewers in the
| neighborhood of the several engine houses
| lie calls attention to a fact, which, he
| says, is apparent to everyone who walks
along the streets, namely, the offensive
| odors proceeding from many of the sewers,
| filling the vicinity with the stencil. He
| says this is due to the long continued
| drought and the absence of the natural
| flushing of the sewers by rain. He says
| the efforts made by the sewer department
| to flush the sewers are entirely Inadequate
| under the circumstances. There is no
| doubt he says that the sanitary condition
| of every house, especially where the plumb
| ing is defective, would be improved, and
| a grave menace to the health of the inhab-
itants removed, by the flushing thus pro-
posed.
| From a comparison of the mortality
| tables of the cities of the United States
Tor the week enulnS september Il last, pre-
| pared by the United States marine hospital
service from official reports, it is shown
| tina. in the period mentioned there
| were 13 deaths from typhoid fever in
Washington, in a population of 230,332, In
New York there were II deaths in d popu-
| lation of 1,515301 and in Philadelphia IL
| deaths in population of 1,046,954.
Examining Potomac Water.
Surgeon General Wyman of the marine
hospital service, at the request of Health
| Officer Woodward, has caused a bacteria
| logical examination to be made of Potomac
water and water from a number Of wells,
| to determine whether this is the source of
| typhoid contamination. DIR. Woodward
| called at the marine hospital bureau this
| morning and was told that the examina-
tons of Potomac water this week show
| that the water Is in better condition than
| last week.
| DIR. Wyman recently addressed an in
quiry to the health officer at Cumberland
Nd. on the headwaters of the Potomac, to
ascertain If typhoid fever prevails in that
| city. The reply was as follows:
| CUMBERLAND, Md, September 27.1S95
"Sir-In reply to yours of the 26th in
slant will say that there is no case of ty-
phoid fever or typho-malarial in Cumber
i.nd at this time There have been two