The Advocate and news., 1898-01-26

During the past autumn anu lne pres
ent winter there has been an unusual
prevalency Of typhoid fever at Emporia
mot to any alarming extent but suf-
hcient to interest me in the endeavor
to obtain, If possible, some further In
formation regarding It's cause.
AS Is we'll known epidemics OF typhoid
and typho-malarial fever are apt to be
more prevalent after summers Of un-
usual drought, that is, when the ground
water is unusually low. Why such Is
the case is not yet proven, but the fact
remains, as has been amply demon
strated in Kansas. For this reason 1t
is the part OF prudence to take extra
precautions to prevent the spread of
such diseases at such times
Perhaps fifty or sixty cases of typhoid
fever have occurred the present season
at EmpOria and in its immediate vicin-
ity,, though generally Of comparatively
mild type The disease been most prev
alent in the southern part Of the city,
the lowest portion, and the portion
which has been most subject to this dis
ease in the past. In not more than one
instance were the cases known to have
occurred in houses using hydrant water,
the disease apparently almost invariably
occurring In houses dependent upon
wells or cisterns for water supply. The
wells are about fifty feet in depth, pass
ing, for the most part through an i'm
pervious clay to water-bearing STRAIT
um. The cisterns are usually but mere
"holes In the ground" either not ce-
mented at all or else cemented over the
clay and not water tight. In the north
ern part of the city there are some wells
used for the reception Of sewage, but l
doubt not that the cause has usually
been the water draining into the wells
and clsterns, either at the surface or at
shallow depths In some instances a
number Of fever cases have occurred in
immediate contguity, though direct In
fection from any given we'll or cistern
has not yet been shown,
The single conclusion that the spread
of the disease has not been due to the
public water supply is l believe, reliable
and of Importance While the river
especially the present year in Its very
low stage, must be very dangerous
source Of public water supply, do not
believe that this supply has been in
fected with typhoid germs. Had there
been cases OF typhoid fever in the imme-
diate vicinity of the river and draining
into 1t, the spread Of the disease would
have been, in all probability, Commen-
Surate only with the use Of the water.
With such unsatisfactory sources OF
supply as the river and the wells are,
It is q matter Of congratulation to En-
poria that there has been no more NOR
tality than has actually occurred.
The physicians of Emporit have ad-
vlsed their patients that all drinking
water should be boiled. The advice Is
important in the highest degree for the
citizens Of EmpOria as OF other cities
similarly situated AS the infection for
typhoid fever must invariably or almost
invariably come from the drinking wa
ter. and the infection Is destroyed by
boiling, there Is little need for any one
to have typhoid fever, especially where
the source of water Is suspicious and can
be guarded against
Few matters have obtained greater
interest in Emporia the present autumn
and winter than their public water sup
ply. There is no city in the State, II
proportion to its inhabitants which uses
a greater amount of water daily thar
does Emporia, ranging from six or sever
hundred thousand to fifteen hundred
thousand gallons daily. This supply ha
been obtained from the Neosho rive
north OF the city. The extraordinar!
drought the present season has affected
the flowage Of the river to very un
comfortable degree. AT the present tim
no water Is flowing, and the greater par
of the now limited supply has to b
drawn from the deep pools in the river
necessitating repeated pumpings fror
one pool to another, for some distanc
above the intake of the water Part