New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-05
DAIRY AND TYPHOID FEVER.

HE discovery Of the source Of the typhoid
rovcr endemic in Paterson. which was rapidly
acquiring alarming proportions. is highly cred
liable to the zeal and care OF Dr. Leai' the
Health Inspector After taking every precai-
ton 10 avoid the possibility of error DE- Lea
ronorts that the disease unquestlonably proceed
od from creamery in Branchvllle. whence a
large number of Paterson families obtained
tbor milk supplies and that Of the fifty-eight
coses which had appeared when the investiga
ton was becun thrty-eight are directly trace
able to that source. When the creamery prem
ises had been examined there was ll''ie OF 10
mystery about the outbreak OF the disease III
Paterson II was found that close 10 the pom"
from which water TO cleanse the milk cans was
,o,o, ,boro was nm outhuilding connected by
n drain pipe with the pond. and that i'll the
dolrvman's house three of his sons were SIGN
with typhoid. 1t is the generally accepted view
of tho highest authorities that typhoid fever IL
nroduced only by the typhoid bacillus carried
into the stomach by fluid vehicle. lhere u
occasionally an isolated case which cannot he
certainly traced back to It's source p"' '"o
origin Of an endemic always can BE-. and in
these days almost invariably u. determined W.
vond reasonable doubt In this instance the
spector with commcndabe promptness'
Without further evidence than has been mace
publIc It would be unjust TO attribute anything
n.orso than Ignorance 10 the BranchvIlle dairy
man For the present 1t is fair TO assume that
he did not know he was subJectlng MS customers
% any risk Of contracting the formidable dis
ease from which members OF his own famuy
wore suffering. Indeed. the strong presumption
FOR while one Of his sick sons Is believed to have
"cauoh," the malady In New-York the other two
undoubtedly derived It from the same source
70 which the Epidemic IN Paterson Is n'trlbu-
fable and II their father had realized the dan
cor no would have protected his household from
II. Tnhappiy. ignorance Of this Kind j. sun
prevalent and dense among those on whose
maintenance Of sanitary conditions IN" health
~ cverv community largely depends. The only
| consolation Is that through such conspicuous
demonstrations ms this common knowledge OF
the causes Of disease Is progressively dissent
mated
II nc seoms 10 be proper. the Branchvlllc
do,rvmon he acquitted ~ conscious fault. II
IS still pertinent TO ask what the doctor VINO
attended his sons was doing or ncglccting 10
do He fclt no doubt that his patients had
tvnhoId fever. md il would be extremely DIM
cult TO believe that he did not know what busi-
ness their father was engaged In and under
what general conditions it was carried on The
| Health Inspector does not intimate That this
musician had ever acquainted him or any one
else in authority with the fact that Their" were
three cases OF typhoid in the dairyman's family
Was he. too, In total ignorance OF the danger
which lay in such n juxtapostiont If he was.
the Inference is n grave one III he was not.
It Is equally so. II appears to us that the ques-
ton requires an answer.