Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-11-17
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE
To Reopen on the 2sti-Cause Of the
Fever.

To Reopen on the 2sth-Cnuse Of the
Fever.
LEXINGTON. VA. November lG.-(Spe-
cial)-A special called meeting OF the
Board Of Visitors Of the Virginia Military
Institute was held in Lexington last night
and lasted until o'clock IN the morning.
The institute will reopen Tuesday. NO
vember 18th. The object Of the meeting
was TO receive the report OF the Presideh,
of the State Board OF Health IN regard
10 the typhOid-fever outbreak Wnlcn
closed the school October 10Th. when an
the cadets were frr.0ughed for thirty
days owing TO the lateness or the re-
pOrt. the school did not open to-day al
The cxpira ton Of the time. Those ~ the
board present We're Colonel william
Male Of Richmond; Judge r. Y. Kane
OF Gate City. lloyd u. smith. OF Hearts
Vile: Colonel Louis 9. Barley. Of AleXan-
dria. and ". r. Shields. of Lexington.
Tho report OF tine State board was as
foiloWs:
Richmond. Va, November -. 1899.
General Scott Ship, superintendent Nir-
GINA Military Institute. Lexington, Va:
Dear Slr.-After thorough inspection or
the buildings grounds. water and MIX
supply etc. OF the Virginia Military IN
stituto. as per your reQu st. We beg leave
20 submit the following report;
The buildings and grounds were IN eX-
celient sanitary CONDITION except as re-
CARDS the sinks and urinais.
The water supply. as 10 source, was
pure. but We believe became contaml-
mated at certain points on the stoOps.
The outbreak was due % no local cause,
but was imported ID the premises, and
finding suitable soil for propagation, soon
| infected the water supply. az ioloWs,
! The exit pipe for the waste water from
|, the stOOps emptcs on the Side or the MI
at no great distance from the sinks ana
urinals: the soil in this neighbOrhOod be-
coming infected 10y the imported germs
being deposited there gave rise tO noNols
gases. which were carried by me ar up
the Waste-pipe. through the SINKS on
the stOODs 60 the spigots or by hne par
ticles Of dust laden with germs. thereby
communicating he water. W hen the wa
ter reached the pipes II was pure, Dut
became contaminated In The manner just
indicated
AS FAR as known there has never been
an outbreak OF typhOid-fever az the IN
stitute. hence there could be no local
cause for this outbreak until The germs
of the disease were deposited from out
side. after once finding Judgment our
opinion Is that the outbreak can De easily
accounted for by the means or leaks IN
the conduit pipe
The bacteriol0gical examination shows
that the water was uncOmmonly good
but one specimen taken from a spigOt on
the upper stOOp showed small number
Of Intestinal b0cilli. not typhoid, an EVIL
that typhoid gained an entrance at that
point
We respectfully recommend that the
earth closets De kept perfectly dry, nneiy
pulverized earth he placed upon the de-
pOsits rs soon as made and in suilcient
quantity TO insure absolute dfyness.
During vacation next summer these
closets should ba destroyed and replaced
by modern waterloo rs Jefferson pa
tenO. and vent pipes he constructed at
convenient points on the stOOpq, that the
pipes from the closets empty into com
mon sewer. which I'm turn should empty
into Woods creek under The nil, the
water supply being sufficient 10 flush ont
the pipes ana sewer rs often as required.
We think these modern Water-cIo-ets
VIII add much 10 the Mort ana healih
Of tho cadets. and should be Duiit az me
end Of the stOOur where they can DE
well lighted and ventilated
We further suggest that the barrack
spigots. sinks on stoOps. and Waste-plpes
De thoroughly disilfeotcd, as DR.. White.
the corps surgeon. may direct, and that be
supervise the entire process.
Respectfully submitted.
r. w. MARTIN. President.
Paulus a. Irving. Secretary.
The following resolution was offered
I after the reading of the report and
/ adopted:
."fhe Board OF Visitors Of the Virginia
Military Institute. having heard read the
E reports N the superintendent or the iu-
T siifutp and the state Board or Hfiiln,
detailing the causes which fro their opinion
/ led 10 the outbreak OF tvph1il-feVer due
ring the month of October. lN1. and hay
/ Ing given said reports careful c0nsidera-
/ ton. and basing their action upon said
reports. and also upon the professional
opinion OF DIR. Reid White the post sur
ge0n. are OF the opinion that academic
/ and military exercises OF the institute can
now be safely resumed. To is therefore
"Resolved. That The Superintendent of
/ the institute De directed 90 communicate
/ this opinion % the parents and guardians
/ Of the cadets ana che action of the board
thereon"
/ A double line of. sewer and waste-pipes
! has been laid Zoo The courtyard Of the
cadet barracks. and also double line
/ leading from the bathrooms I'm the Jack
SOM Memorial Hall. through the under
| ground tunnel. This latter line has real
/ lv been extended through the tunnel. rs
there was a sewer-piDe before. The dOu-
/ bic system carries off an surface drain
| ines and an waste from the stoOps OF
balconies force Of twenty-five hands
I were employed I'm the work.
Three Of the cadets arrived here this
afternoon. not having heard the school
would not open at the time set. They
VIII board I'm Lexington until the 2th
Cadet Philips OF Texas. accompanied by
/ hts mother left Tuesday for his home.
| Tho other cadets-Euett Montgomery.
/ Floweree. and Epps-in the hospital viii
/ De discharged I'm a few days.