Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-02

| tackled were consumers of well water. many
| of which were found contaminated and
| none above suspicion.
| Fifth. A large percentage of the cases
! occurred in houses supplied with box priv
| les, which, apart from being an important
| cause of soil pollution, are believed to be
| otherwise instrumental in the dissemina-
| ton of germs chiefly through the agency of
| flies.
Sixth. While the Potomac. water COM
| pares favorably with that Of other rivers
streams once polluted can be considered
safe for drinking purposes without filtra-
ton or sterilization.
''Since the experience of other cities,
both at home and abroad, has demonstra ted
that typhoid fever is to a large extent pre-
ventable, l respec fully submit the follow
ing:
Recommends lions.
First. The immediate closing of every
we'll in the District wherever a better wa
ter supply be obtained.
Second. The early completion and extern
sion of ALI necessary sewers within the city
limits. and the enforcement of the law to
make sewer connections
Third. The abandonment of all box
priV!es within the city limits and the en-
actment of more stringent laws for the
prevention of soil pollution, together with
rigid, frequent and systematic inspection
of all box privies in the suburbs.
Fourth. The improvement of the Poto-
mac water by means of filtering basins and
the extension of this water supply to the
suburbs at the earliest moment practical
be
Fifth Such measures as may be neces-
sary to improve the sanitary condition in
the lower part of the city, along the Poto-
mac and the Eastern branch looking to the
reclamation of stagnant and polluted
marshes, and the prompt disposal of the
sewage.
sixth The enactment of law requir-
ing notification to the health officer of all
cases of typhoid fever and ether infectious
diseases in the District of Columbia, to-
Sether with a rigid enforcement of the
building regulations requiring the cement
ing of cellars and Easements to prevent
&C Inflammation of the air from polluted sub
soils, and the systematic inspection Of
da1ries inaugurated by your department
In the meantime, as a preventive meas
ure, L earnestly recommend to the public
the thorough disinfection of the excreta
from all typhoid fever patients, and great
err care on the part of those connec ted with
the sick, together with boiling the water
and milk supply.
Viewed From n Commercial Stand
point.
"A most conservative estimate demon
strates that the number of cases of typhoid
fever for the four months ending October 81
was scarcely less than 795. These cases rep
resented 30,SD days lost in sickness at an
average cost of 81 per day Assuming an
annual average of 800 cases. the loss
amounts to $4,000 per annum, thus indicat-
ing that it will be in the highest degree wis
dom, as well as economy, to apply prompt,
speedy and effective remedy.
1T affords me great pleasure to testify to
the fact that my investigate ton tends to con-
firm the conclusions reached by the special
committee appointed by the Medical Society
of the District Of Columbia, and so ably pre-
scented in their report, submitted June 6.
1894. l tender to you my sincere thanks for
your valuable assistance and for selecting
me for this duty. AS the cost of the inves-
LEGATION viii not reach the sum of SiD, can
truthfully say that with me the labor has
been one of love. If. however, this report
should aid your well-directed efforts to i'm
prove the health of this city, and if, above
all, the recommendation should be acted
upon, and result in what l confidently eX-
pect. a decided decrease, not only of typhoid
fever, but of other diseases which are infiu-
enced, if not caused by contaminated water
and soil, l shall feel amply repaid What
ever merit this report may possess, its sci
entiiic value has been greatly enhanced by a
series of painstaking meteorological inves-
legations of the water and ice supply con-
Quoted by DR.. J. J. Kinyoun, under the au-
thority of the surgeon general of the marine
hospital service.
In conclusion, express my acknowledge
ments to Mr.. VIM. b. Moore, the efficient
statistician of your office, for valuable as
sistance and for the preparation of the
charts and tables, also to Mr.. Thomas c. 1.
Bailey for the preparation of plats and the
location of the old water courses on the city
map"