Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-08-11
DR.. WlTCHER'S WlTCHERY.
S0Mo Plain Statements Thereon Re-.
sradIls Tue SCIpIO DlphlhcfIa,
= s...rrhauarnisms OF nr. Witcher Not
Nciisbed by the People, who re
tate ttia Assertions,
scrrro, Utah, Aug. 10. isSJ.

scIrro, Utah, Aug 10. 1875.
To ,lc Editor
la your issue Of the G,h inst. you
have an article on "seiplo Diphihoria"
In which you refer n report saii 10
have uoen made by DR.. J. s. witchef.
la defense Of the people Of Gu, much
maligned llllle town wish 20 say a
few words. Flfst, with reference to
the gentleman's "three days say In
the towu," that he came into town at
about O'Clock ,. IN. on tho Sfd inst,
visiting ami spending about ten min.
utes with one family that night. lie
left his hotel after breakfast a, about
a. m. on the Alb, vlsiled among the
sick until about uoon, had dinner and
left town nj about g.. m. OF tho same
day. liu h reported 20 have
said both IN Sallna ana In Salt Lake
that We had thlfiy.siN cases VI diph.
iberia Of u malignant form, but iust
before he LEFT hero no stated that he
had found but four cases Of diphthotia
Ia town. We who live here and
know everybody In town, can only
count seventeen persons who were
sick from any CAUSE ut the time OF the
dootut's visit aud several u these the
doctor told the parents OF the children
that there were no symptoms Of diph.
iberia Ia their cncr.
"rhe disguetlngly filthy condition
Of the reservoir from which the ptu-
pie u 5clplo secure water" IL also To-.
leTfed 10. Our reservoir IL as fires from
disgusting fiiIh ~ auy other out Of.
| door reservoir eau be. 10 10 tue that
few hunt OF cattle water there anu
no doubt the gentleman may have seen
eOmt Of them standing IN the water
drinking, IL the gentleman had been
hunting facts, however, no could easily
have learned that not ono.foutth OF tue
/ people OF sclpiO ute ditch water iOI
hOugDhOld purposes, "a We have an
excellent supply OF we'll water; alsJ
/ that nj tho time he wac here nine.
| tentha Of the water coming to town by
| canal sd not come from tue reservoir
at all bot direct from springs Al tho
| foot OF the mountain In a canal made
by our people some yeam ago Tor that
special purpose.
Win reference 10 the charge that
"lheTe 10 at present no restriction what.
ever 20 prevent tue spread OF tho die
case," viii say; sore throat made lls
appearances here last winter, one mCu-
Dor of a family only, perhaps having Nj;
then alter n while u would appear Ia
another family, the symptoms diiler.
ing very much IN different caaee.
some time after, one or two children
died anu the people became n little
alarmed, some Tearing II was diph.
iberia, Application was made 10 the
county court anu they sopt DR.. keono
from Fillmore 10 investigate. The
doctor reported absolutely no diph.
theTia, but malignant sore throat, Hd.
yls1i US that the disease was con-
tagious, and that We should DO caullous.
At once SUNDAY school anu Primary
meetings were discontinued, and those
| VINO had sickness In their houses were
advised 10 keep from ass0oiaiing with
other people. Matters did not look
very serious until about two weeks ago,
when VIZ had very stormy weather, AZ
II tninod several dsys. THIS seemed
10 have very bad effect upon sever.
al who had appeared TO be Improving
nicely and We had four deaths three
In one family In eight uuys. Dr.
Witoher was photographed for nj once
| and the cOuAty court was applied to
for tho appointment Of health com.
missioneTs. The appointment was
made while DIR. WiIohuT was more ana
| he was No Informed, AMI one OF the
commission applied 10 tho doctor for
Instructions with reference 10 quaTan.
tine, dislnieolants, etc. We have no
town organization aud before tho ap.
| pOinlment Of the health commission
there was no authority TO force matters,
tut all that persuasion could do was
| done.
As soon as the commissioners were
appointei they went to worE, aud
every hOuau where there Ia sickness
has been visited daily since aud as
stfio, quarantine regulations M seemed
necessary have been adopted; and
am thankful 10 say that we have not
had o death In town since toxCept IN
Old lady gnty'nine Year, OF age, AM
no sore throat had been within sevefa,
|