Evening star., 1898-03-12
OUR WATER SUPPLY
Close Relation 1t Bears to the Public
Health.
THE War AGAINST ZYMOfIC DISEASES
History of the Efforts to Better the
Local Conditions.
STILL MUCH TO BE DONE

A paper read at the recent meeting of the
Medical Society of the District of Columbia
by s. c. Busey, NJ. D., the president of the
society.
AS early as 1890, in a contribution to the
etiology of typhoid fever" DIR. George M.
Koher cited the notable fact that following
the epidemic at Cumberland, Nd, the first
case of which occurred December 10, 1885,
the number of deaths from the disease in
this city from December. 1885, to April so,
1880. was seventy-four, nearly double the
number during the corresponding months
of the previous year. This may adds
DIR. Kooer. have been a coincidence, but
1t may also confirm the conclusions of the
English river pollution commission, that
nothing short of abandonment of he in
expressibly nasty habit of mixing human
eXcrement with our drinking water caL
confer upon us immunity from the propa-
CATION of epidemics through the medium
OF potable water
But to DIR. G. Lloyd Magruder must be
awarded the merit of initiating an invesli-
cation which placed this society in the
front in efforts to secure a better water
cred before the Sanitary League February
o. 1884, Surgeon Charles Smart U. 8. A,
emphasized the great prevalence and high
death rate of typhoid fever IN this city,
and attributed it to pollution of the Po-
tomac water supply. These statements DR..
MaSruder. who was in the audience,
promptly challenged. In a subsequent pub
Ecation in The Evening Star DIR. John 5.
Billings and Prof. Clifford Richardson, the
District chemist. disputed the accuracy of
DIR. Smart's statement referring to the
pollution of the Potomac water supply.
While subsequent Investigations have not
verified DR.. Smart's statement that the
high percentage of typhoid fever in this
city was due solely to the distribution of
the germs of the disease through Potomac
water, they point to the conclusion that
1t Is one of the sources of infection. and
that one which offers the greatest danger.
DIR. MSgruder did not drop the subject
at this point, but at the meeting of this
society February Z following. called at
tention to the statements that had been
made. and, upon his motion. a committee,
composed of himself. Drs. W. W. Johnston
and C. NJ Hammett. was appointed to in
vestiSate the causes of the prevalence AMI
high death rate of typhoid fever in the
District of Columbia
This committee based Its Investigation
upon the following inquiries:
L The prevalence and mortality of ty-
phoid fever in the District.
The relation of TIE dissemination of
(b) TO the pollution of the soil with leak
age from privies. from defective sewers
and from backing Up of sewage from tidal
movements: tcJ 10 the drinking of well or
pump water; (d) to contaminated milk and
to other causes.
% The difference in mortality in differ
ent areas of the city with view to dis
cover the causes of the disease
u Conclusions based upon the foregoing
data as to what measures should be taken
to diminish the spread of the disease"
The committee prosecuted their investiga-
tons with remarkable energy and diligence
On June 9. 1891, their report, accompanied
with numerous maps. charts and diagrams
illustrating its context, submitted to
the society, with the following recon-
mendations, which, after consideration,
were unanimously adopted:
Il The immediate abandonment of all
wells within the city limits, exception only
to be made in case of the absence of the
Potomac supply and where the wells. after
repeated chemical and meteorological ex-
aminattonS. have been found to be free
from all possible sources of danger. But
even these to be abandoned as rapidly as
possible.
go Publication of the sewerage system
already existing by replacing as rapidly
as possible all damaged or defective drains
-. The Introduction of new sewers in
advance of other improvements in parts Of
the city not now supplied with drainage
and the extension of the system as far
outside of the city limits as the rapidly
growing population demands so as to pre-
vent soil contamination.
~. The adoption of some system by
which the lower sections of the city can
be more completely drained and the risks
arising from the backing up of tide water
and sewage prevented.
40. The final and safe disposal of the
sewage.
80. To make all existing privies. vaults
or other receptacles of human excreta
water tight, and by rigid inspection and
penalties TO prevent the danger from leak
ege and overflow.
~. The early completion of the plans
recommended by Col. Elliot, in charge of
the Washington aqueduct, and now in
course of execution, which have in view
the sedimentation of the Potomac water
and ultimately the completion of works
for filtration, the only proper method OF
publication.
IS. The suppression of all privies and
the enforcing of the law to make sewer
-. Careful inspection of all dairies in
the District from which our milk supply
is drawn. and the enactment OF a law by
which no milk shall be sold in the Dis
trict without a permit from the health
office The inspection should cover an ex-
animation at the dairies of all possible
sources of infection, including the water
supply.
profession of a careful collation. of all
facts bearing upon the mode of infection in
each case and the advantage of reporting
such facJs to the society and the propasa-
tion of the doctrine that Immediate disin-
fec.ion of the stools is the first duty of the
physician as guardian of the health of
the community.
&c. L. MAGRUDER.
wv. W. JOHNSTON,
&C. NJ HAMMETT.
Committee"
These recommendations comprehend the
wide scope of the inquiries and show con-
clUsively the thoroughness and complete
Eess of the committees investigations
Subsequent investigations have reaffirmed
their conclusions and SO extended the field
of res s.arch along the line indicated by
Surgeon Charles Smart as to emphasize the
necessity of sedin1entation and filtration of
the drinking water supply.
Immediately after the adoption OF this
report the society. through Commissioner
Truesdell received an invitation from the
committee of the House of Representatives
on the District of Columbia, and on June
IA. through Its committee, composed of
DR. 5 G. Eusey. W. W. Johnston, c. l..
Magruder, c. II. A kIeinschmidt, G. Wythe
Cook, S s. Adams and d. W. Prentiss,
presented the report to the committee OF
tine House. which. after two hearings, re-
ports of which were published In the local
press. ordered 1t to be printed as a public
document. Four thousand copies were
printed and widely distributed throughout
the country. 1t Is believed this Is the first
and only instance of medical society ap-
pearing by invitation before a committee