The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1897-07-13
CLEMSON'S FEVER
REPORT OF THE STATE BOARD OF
-.... HEALTH FILED. l.,ss1 ~
Typhoid Ept 2SnIiC-Tko Fulli Text Of tho
Reportfs3f tho Invcstigation- Some
st1f.arnest Recommendations
~ Made.
(The State, 8th.)

lh cVAhbEo SSholoOt W Iho bDut0-
ments made about the existence of
the typhoid fever epidemic at Glenn
son college is the report given below,
filed yesterday with the governor by
the committee of the State board of
health asked by Governor Ellerbe to
visit Clemson and investigate the
causes.
To His Excellency, Governor Eller-
be:
Dear Governor: Your committee
has the honor to report that in obed-
ience to your excellency's instruc-
tions we visited Clemson Agricultu-
raj college and investigated the
cause and character of tho prevail
ing sickness at that psilt, aud moth
i iii:ag iis S s lenairis But to render to you Of
ficially the results Of our cxamina-
ton.
Upon our arrival at Clemson on
Tuesday, the 9th Of June. we were
waited upon by President Craig
head and the faculty, who expressed
much qualification at our arrival and
an earnest desire to give us all pos
sible aid in solving the serious prob
lem by which they were confronted
and which had excited painful ar-
prehension throughout the State. It
may not be inelegant to refer to the
extremely picturesque appearance of
Clemson college, crowning the grace
fully undulating hills and standing
an enduring monument to its found
ers. With silent and Irresistible elo-
quence in behalf of generations to
come, who, sheltered in it's bcneticent
arms, shall learn tho lessons of stal-
wart, enlightened citizenship upon
which our government must rely for
peaceful, prosperous and happy per
petuity.
In advance Of making a tour of
sanitary inspection, we visited the
hospital, in which there were few
patients, probably dozen, some
convalescing and others quite i'll.
We regretted the absence of DR.. Red
fern, himself sick, probah' with the
prevailing fever, and we found DR..
Hardin in cheerful and efficient
discharge of the duties of resident
physician. We were informed that
approximately between 70 and 80
cases of sickness had occurred among
the students, within a few weeks, ne
cessitat;2g the disbanding of the col
lege Of that number Of fever cases,
not more than 30 were of prolonged
duration and several had died. The
fever was thought to be malarial, but
there were two cases in hospital, Con-
corning which thore was some doubt
but might be typhoid fever.
AS to the causation of this fever,
various theories wero entertained.
One theory was that the students
had bathed in the river near whore
the sewerage emptied. Another the
ory was that q number of students
had worked in the low swamp lands,
rich in alluvial deposits and had in
hailed tho noxious oxhalations from
stagnant water, tho outflow Of which
had been recently checked by dam.
A third theory was that a large per-
centage of the students mad come
from their homes in malarial Soc
tions of the State, and that the lat
ent m"lifia in them had developed
by higher latitude, by an excessive
amouriB of work and the severe mill
,y-tary discipline Of the institution.
That these causes had gradually de-
vitalized the students, rendering
them easy prey to sickness. The
disproof of the first theory was that
somc of tho sick students disclaimed
over having been in tho river. The
second theory could not hold be,
cause the sickness was not entirely
; confined to the students who had
worked in tho swamp land, and in
reply to the third theory it may be
said that tho sick students repre-
aented all sections of tho State.
In the presence of so many con
s;sting opinions entertained by gen
tleuien of intelligence, discrimination
and observation, your committee