Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-10-05
THE EPIDEMIC OF TYPHOID.
Spring Water Cleared of Suspicion
by the Tests. n IVA.


far as it is possible to show, for the
typhoid fever epidemic in that neigh
borhood. With the water out of the
question, what is the cause? LII the re-
ports be true, the cases are too numer-
Gus to be explained on any other ground
than as the result of some chief cause
affecting many people. The problem
now before the Board of Health is to
discover that chief cause. Through
drinking water is only one of the ways
for taking the germs of typhoid into
the system. They can also be taken in
through milk or other article of food,
and they can, moreover, be taken in
through breathing. As to milk, 1t IL
possible that an infected dairy, whose
supply would be distributed In a Ger
tain section, would cause the trouble
In the way of other food, it would be
possible that persons using some certain
article would take disease germs into
their systems. Both these points sug-
gest lines of investigation. As to
breathing air impregDated with fever
germs, air that rises from excavations
may be so affected. 1t is one of the
possibilities that the building opera
tions that have been somewhat numer-
GUS in the fever district have been eS-
citing cause Of the distribution of the
typhoid bacillus.
1t may be said in passing that all that
is called typhoid fever is not always
typhoid fever. That is fever which
does not come in a day and end in less
than week; but it has to run its
course and three months is a period
often occupied by it.
Even before the announcement that
a.. l. taaf IF tho Entrrth
and Franklin streets spring water
showed that the typhoid fever epidemic
could not be properly traced to that
water, DIR. j. A. Draper was not pre-
! pared to accept the theory that the
water caused the typhoid. In discuss
ing the subject the other evening, DIR.
Draper asked il there had not been
good deal of building in that vicinity,
and he was informed that numerous
building operations had been in pro-
gress there. According to the DOCTORS
recollection, some of that district was
once filled in with ashes and other
material. tt is such matter as this,
when thrown up in the sunlight in
which typhoid fever germs may grow.
| Many years ago, possibly in the SOS
Wilmington had typhoid epidemic,
| which was supposed to have been caus-
| ed by the filling in of the marshes below
| the Brandywine. Although the germs
more often come in food or drink, it is,
| however, possible to take them in in
| breathing. So that DIR. Draper thought
it would be we'll to look into the mat
ter of excavations.
| AS to the general drinking water of
the city. DIR. Draper said he had not
soen anything to lead him to believe
| that it had been contaminated. The
Brandywine is we'll guarded, sewers
| along the stream taking away contami-
mating matter and finally the city has
filtering Plant. The water is prob
ably as good or perhaps better than
the average. 1t is superior to that OF
Philadelphia and as good or better than
that of New York.
DIR. Draper has q number of typhoid
cases, but he considers them of the
sporadic sort, the cause of which would
be hard TO tell. At certain periods Of
the year, typhoid cases always exist,
and the fever is usually more prevalent
in the late summer and winter than al
other times.
Although as a general thing when q
typhoid fever epidemic breaks out sus.
picion is turned toward the drinking
water, yet it does not follow that the
water is to blanc. 1t is possible that
the germs of the disease have been car.
ried In milk or in other food.
II don't think" said DIR. L. A. Kit
finger, "'there is as much typhoid feveI
in town as the people think. We have,
of course, good deal Of intermittent
fever. l don't find it in any speeia
locality excepting that there are more
cases in the western than in the eastern
part of town for one cause or another.
Speaking as to the cause of typhoid
fever, DIR. Kittinger said that water IL
generally looked upon as the prinoipa
cause, but cases are very often fount
where diaries have been infected. Fol
instances farmer would have an ole
we'll or pump where he would wash on
his milk cans. Typhoid fever germ
in the water might be transferred Il
the milk, where they would thrive Al
they would in water. Several years ag'
case at Eighth and Franklin street,
was traced to dairy. 1t was fount
that persons who took milk from Ger
tain milkman had fever and person
who did not take milk from that milk
!, man did not have the fever, and so i
was traced right up to his dairy.
Given warm days and cool nights il
, | u Suulu9r, anu AN eplletuio Va loso
may be expected in the fall. Last sum
mer was such summer as Nigh
arouse the expectation now beinl
realized. Whether or not the fever cal
be traced to the water, DIR. Kittinge
says it is good idea to boil the waite
anyhow and cool it by putting it il
bottles on ice. Ice itself is not free from
fever germs. if fever germs were in tn
water primarily.
Some years ago when the dredger
were filling the Christiana marshes, tn
dredgings would bake in the heat Q
the sun and some nights an east win
, would blow over the marshes; tina
! season the town was literally full @
typhoid.
DR.. W. R. Bullock when asked con
cerning his view of the cause of tn
many cases OF typhoid fever said b
l could not attribute 1t to anything local
8 for if reports we're true it must be some
, thing which affects the people generally
: So far as he could learn from the papre
; the mortality from typhoid, If tner
= have been so many cases as reported
Q was very small. He did not think an
o one could positively assert what wa
: the cause.
1 Wedding Invitations.
! Mr.. and Mrs. William G. Farra hay
| kat CO. ba tuo =