The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1898-02-15
Continued from LIST page.)
SEVEN MORE ATTACKS OCCURRED

~ lnJeIValS OelOre Une emu Vi mdrCn
five OF them in houses supplied by
spring which, besides other means
OF pollution, was situate within
thirty feet OF sewer which had for
some time been silted up and which
was leaking at many points.
The history Of the disease in Chi
chester is not very differnt from the
foregoing. The city, with a popu-
lation OF nearly 1000, has for many
years had bad reputation. The
late DR.. Seaton reported Of it in
1865 that fever was never long alb
sent, and was som atmes very pre-
valent; and he indicated localities
in which the tendency both to pre-
valence and to recurrence was espe-
cially marked. During the whole
period between 1871 and 1890 the
fever death-rate OF Chichester was
much in excess OF that of the county
OF Sussex as a whole, or of England
and Wales generally; and hence,
when intelligence OF fresh out
break was received in the autumn Of
1896, DR.. Bulstrode was instructed
to institute an inquiry into the cir
cumstances. His report discloses a
condition Of things much resem bling
that which existed at Bicester, the
soil on which the city is built hav-
ing become saturated, in the course
OF ages, the refuse for the removal
OF which no adequate provision has
ever been made. 1t is curious ele-
ment in the case that, although
about half the houses in the city de-
rived their water from a company
whose sources OF supply are describ-
ed as
BEING FREE FROM SUSPICION,
the fever was almost equally divid-
ed between these houses and those
which derived their water from local
wells. Nearly all the cases were
outside the city walls, and most OF
the streets and areas ia which the
disease occurred were the same as
those which had been attacked
when DR.. Seaton reported thirty
years before. Indeed, to quote DR..
Bulstrode, "the localities mainly in
vaded during 1896 were those which
have been repeatedly invaded in
former years" No explanation of
the outbreak could be found in any
of the conditions with which such
an event is usually associated. Noi-
Their drainage, nor milk supply, nor
water supply could explain the local.
ization or the distribution OF the
disease; and the history tends to
show that typhoid fever, although
mainly distributed in epidemic form
either by water or by milk, may also
be distributed through some other
channel. 1t raises the question how
far recurring
PREvALENoES OF THE MALADY,
in one town or spot, may be due to
the persistence in certain soils, in a
more or less active form, OF the
organism of the disease. With refer
ence to this question, the re port con.
tains chart and maps, prepared by
DR.. Bulstrode, which show that, al
though typhoid fever has for many
years been undergoing a steadily
progressive diminution in this coun-
try, the areas both OF it's maximum
and minimum medicines have re-.
NAMED practically the same during
the twenty years from 1871 to 1890.
In other words, there are some local
conditions, at present undetermined,
by reason OF which certain areas,
registration counties, towns, or vii
lagos, have, for at least generation.
become identified with such persist
ence or periodic recrudescence OF
typhoid as has continued to secure
for them death-rates from that dis
ease in large excess of the death
rates from it in other districts, with
some Of which those most affected
may not unfairly be compared.