St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1897-01-15
TYPHOID FEVER.


|
w. J. Aldrich, will be read with interest.
His suggestions and those Of
the State Board OF Health should be
carried out by every one who is using
the river water. Here is Dr. Aldrichs
letter:
Editor CALIFORNIAN:
Such vague and uncertain reports are
in circulation concerring the epidemic Of
typhoid lever in St. Johnsbury that, as
Health Officer, deem it my duty to give
a plain statement of the facts as know
them.
In the year ending December /. 1896,
there occurred in the town of St. Johus-
bury ~ cases Of typhoid ievet OF these,
two occurred at St. Johnsbury Center
and as both cases were near the river
bank, they are important as possible
source OF Injection OF the river water
There were four other cases in which the
disease was contracted lsewhere-that
is, these persons were taken sick so soon
after coming to st. Iohnsbury that it
could not have been contracted here.
This leaves SO cases originating in the
village, and of these ga used the river
water.
Since December 1, 1896, there have
been reported to me 80 cases OF typhoid
fever and 81 of thsse used river water.
One contracted the disease elsewhere and
one is case of direct contagion, the
patient being taken with the disease
while nursing another case.
l give the facts for what they are
worth, believing that everyone is capable
OF drawing his own conclusions. l have
hesitated long in making this statement
for the reason that such notice might
hurt our village in the estimation OF out
siders, bnt the disease has kept increas.
ing and / am now convinced that VIC
should throw all such childish opinions
to the wind and grapple this problem in
earnest.
am not seeking to injure either water
company, nor am more friendly with
one than the other so l feel free to
express my conviction that our epidemic
of typhoid fever is caused by the river
water. How can one think otherwise
when confronted by such evidence even
though it is circumstantial?
Even if the two cases at st. Johnsbury
Center did not infect the river water, and
| believe they did, for we had an unusual
number of cases here later in the fall
there was abundant opportunity tor in
fiction from case on Oak street which
occurred in the latter part Of August, the
house standing on the river bank not
800 yards from the pumping station and
having a private drain direct to the
river.
There is today case of typhoid fever
on the bank OF that same mill pond, and
the privy which three large families use
and into which the dejecta of this patient
were deposited for week prior to my
notification of the case, literally over.
hangs the river During this week there
was thaw, followed by a hard rain
and it is safe to say that enough typhoid
germs were washed into the river TO pro-
long our epidemic indefinitely.
am well aware that these ideas will
not find acceptance in many minds, ii
fact the medical profession is not a unit
in this belief, but if they serve as a text
for concerted thought and action the OBJ
ject of this paper will have been accom-
plished.
Many assert that the river water is tht
better tasting, and do not deny it. But
some of the most deadly poisons ar,
pleasant to the taste and smell. Oul
taste cannot direct us in the choice o
water.
There are times without doubt wher
the river water is safe to drink, time:
WhSh thSiS diS hO ~ pho'h SSiu III IL
but there is always the drainage OF par
of Paddock's Village, the cemetery, St
Johnsbury Center, Lyndon, Lyndon Wilt
and the houses and barns along its banks
and those from necessity must continu
to pollute the river water. Granting
that this sewerage laden water puri6e
: itself in flowing (Which do not believe
certainly not in the winter months) ther
yet remains the possibility at any tim
of Infection by typhoid germs, and tn
5 first notice we have is an epidemic Of ty
7 phoid lever.
The water OF Stiles pond is not so liza
! bic to injection, because there are n,
S houses on its shores, and the stream
feeding it are swift running brooks whic
:, tend to elf.purfication. If a case of ty
| phod fever should occur near the pom,
and the water become infected it woul
+ be thousand times worse than the rive
j water, for the reason that a freshe
sweeps out the germ producing filth ror
: the river-bed and leaves comparativel
clean banks and bottom, while hig
r water makes no impression whateve
upon the banks and bottom of pond.
y The only immediate remedy for thi
70 | ,x;I &c t1,;, o,J an,oastI,, -, 10,