Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-09-08
ABOUT TYPHoID-FEvER.
A Filth Disease Caused by specihc
Organism from Drinking Water.


Health)
Typhoid IS a filth disease. 1t Is caused
by a specific organism which Is almost
always introduced into the body through
drinking water. The organism gets into
the water from the discharges of those
sick with the disease, or possibly by the
DEVELOPMENT Of an usually harmless germ
which occurs in the intestines into a
harmful one. Typhoid is called rural
disease, because about two cases occur
in the country to one in the city. This
Is probably not true in Indiana. In Mas
sachusetts, New York. and especially In
Europe, such is the condition. II Indiana
cities were furnished with pure public
water supplies and proper sewage dis
posal. as are most cities In the regions
named. the condition would also I'M
doubtedly exist with US To Danish ty-
phoid-fever we must drink pure water.
So long as we have two holes In each
yard-one to receive filth and the other
to supply us with water-we may expect
to have this terribly destructive filth dis
ease. In any city or town where the
vault and well system has been In use for
a period of years, there is no way but TO
abandon the wells and seek a pure public
water supply.
The usual conditions existent on farms
are about as follows The farmer at some
time purchased a farm, selected a site
for his house, built it, and at the same
time. in close proximity. dug a well and
a vault. He also constructed not far
away a barn for his cattle. Living at
bfC ,nfa
probably within six, ten. fifteen, perhaps
twenty years, the family began having
various ailments. One of the members
may have complained of indigestion and
sometimes darrhoea, or all might have
been so affected. Again, nausea and
vomiting after meals might be expert
enccd, or frequent coated tongues, as
cribed to biliousness, might appear, and
lastly, the awful typhoid-fever might
make its unwelcome visits. Why all this?
The doctor was probably called and his
medicine faithfully taken, yet little or no
abatement was experienced. The pro-
blem has been solved. The sanitarian-
sometimes called the microbe crank-Las
studied and investigated until the secret
was discovered. Here it Is: At first the
ground furnished pure water Neither
on the surface of the earth nor to any
distance below the surface was filth to
be found. Finally the vault became full
and the barnyard deep i'm manure. The
vault was filled up and another one dug.
1t, in time. was also filled, abandoned,
and the third one provided The purify
ing powers of Mother Earth were finally
overtaxed. The rains filed the vault,
covered the barnyard, and sunk into the
earth at every point. AS the water per-
colated down it carried to the under
ground seams filth in solution, and at
last. although clear and tasteless. poll
luted water got into the well. Now, the
troubles detailed above began to appear.
This is not speculation or theory; il is
actual practical investigation. Hundreds
of times has this been proved. Thousands
of experiments, with years of study by
"a great many scientists. have absolutely
established the fact that typhoid is
filth disease, proceeding in almost every
instance from water polluted with our
own Observation-Disclosures Journal.
The conditions as described so well in
the newspaper article which appeared in
the Indiana Bulletin likewise exist in
Virginia.
Typhoid-fever Is more prevalent in the
country than in our cities, hence COM
mend this article 10 the public and the
profession. Wherever typhoid-fever ex-
lists whether one or more cases the pri-
vies and the premises all around the
dwelling, stables, and barnyard should be
put In as perfect hygienic condition as
possible, and thoroughly lined The
spring. well or pump should be thorough
ly cleaned out and all drinking water
should be boiled before drinking by those
that are sick and those that are we'll
See that the water supply is not contain
mated by the drainage Of filth from any
source whatever II these recommended
lions are observed the spread of this dis
ease will be checked