The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-12-03

atfeauy Depn discovered by the lnue-
fatigable President and his assistants.
| will give my observations III the in
verse order of their Importance.
The Misunderstanding was found
Chat in any way, in my Judgment, gould
have been in the least instrumental in
causing typhoid fever.
The dairy. COW barn, horse stables
| and pig pens were all III good condition.
The last named was too far away 10
have had any effect even if its condition
had been bad.
The Sewerage and Plumbing. When
the first dormitory (brick) was bulls In
1892, a sewer pipe was laid, with which
was connected one water closet which
was kept locked and only used in case
of sickness. the bath tubs, the wash
pipe from the kitchen sink and five
downsp0uts from the roof In 1895
a new system of sewers was puI In
and the old sewer Abandoned, as was
supposed except as 4 drainage pipe fer
the roof water; but it turns out that
the plumbers, when making a connee-
ton for the new sink If the Kitchen
made it with this, thinking it was the
new sewer, which was the same size,
eight inches. When taken up, las has
been done, the trench beng disinfec.ed9
this old sewer while very offensive to
the nose from the decaying animal and
vegetable matter from tue Kitchen sink,
like the old fashioned dunghill at the
back window of many country hitcL-
en-, was said to have hecn tight and
we'll secured 1T showed, however, one
defect which should be mentioned in
this discussion, namely, Il small opening
at the toan due to a bad joint in the
space under the buffers pantry adja-
cent to the butter rooms
The new sewers, as far as examined,
We're in good condition, except the stop
page of one near the presidents house,
about 100 yards below the league
house, by the roots OF a tTee-an acct
dent which Is said to be practically un-
ayoidahle This had been remedied Ut
the time OF my visit.
The Plumbing mended plaster
and stains on the wall under lavatories
and bath tubs in some instances in
dicated defective work at first. these de-
fects have been rcmedied and / should
say that the interior plumbing was
good. / regret to say that the same
cannot be said Of all the external
plumbing. hy which is meant the con-
nectiOns between the house fixtures ana
the sewer, for one notable exception was
found in a leaking soil pipe connecting
tin waterclosets on the second floor of
the main or brick dormitory with the
main sewer. This pipe was not leaking
at the time of my visit. for it has been
torn out and replaced as soon as the
leak was found, but all agree that it
ayasa xsho.a xa1,9it,nd 4a,s,
18th, if / mistake not-and that the
adjacent soil was wet. This pipe was
IL feet long. the first five feet from the
down pipe being iron, and the remain
ing twelve Of six point Of terra Gotta,
which latter section, beginning not quite
a foot under the surface Of the ground.
rapidly descended to the main sewer al
a depth Of four feet 1t ran under
the buffers pantry or serving room Of
the dining rooonl, the floor OF which is
about 2l5 feet above the ground, parallel
to and Is inches distance from one wall
Of a closet under the STEPS leading from
the dining room to the dormitory above,
in which closet, for the lack Of any
other approximately cool place. the but
fer was kget-only, however, for few
days at most, after being received from
the dliries before being consumed. the
cakes of butter, with very rare excep-
tons, being wrapped in imperyious
parchment or paraffin paper In the
wall of the butter closet adjacent to
the soil pipe an opening 20 by IL inches,
the bottom being on the floor, which was
practically on level with the ground,
had been cut for ventilation. Opposite
this opening and in a line across the
leaking soil lire the saturated earth.
and about 20 feet distant was the only
opening in the foundation wall of thar
section of the building.
In this discussion Of the sewerage,
wish to acknowledge my indebtedness
to Col. A. W. Shaffer. the sanitary en-
gineer OF the Board of Health, and to
Mr.. i. II. Ludlow, c. f.. of Winston.
an ex-engineer of the board and now
SO well and favorably known in that
capacity throughout our State and other
Southern States, who was employed by
the college TO make an inspection.
Fies:-F'lies convey the germ by walk
ing over the bowel discharges of
Typhoid fever ease aud carrying them
on their feet to food in the kitchen or
dining room / made careful inquiry M
to the occurrence Of typhoid in the.
neighborho3d of the college. | could
learn only of one case, in the person
OF the night Waterman, who was sick
in August. ] sent for and questioned
him as 70 the disposal Of his dejec-
tions and was informed that they were
invariably placed in hole dug in mis-
garden, disinfected and covered up with
earth. Flies did not frequent the sew
erage-wet earth, around the leaking SOL
pipe because it was too dark for them.
The fly must be excluded in this In
stance as a cause. In passing / should
say that there was no possibility OF the
Of the drinking water by
this patient
The Milk:-Ihere was no reason to
suspect the milk, NIL OF which was oh
tanned from the college dairy. and the
fact that only fourteen Of thirty-eight
patients drank milk when well, and tile
further fact that not i single case Of
sickness occurred in four families who
bought milk from the college negatives
this possible and not infrequently prob
able source OF infection.
The Drinking Water:-Ihe water
supply was obtained from the city water
works and three wells, one at the Tea
que house across the street from the
college, rented for 4 dorlnitory, located