The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1899-09-28
A SPECIAL MEETING.
Medical Society Met Last Evening to
Discuss the Prevalence of
Typhoid Fever.
MAY BE FROM DISEASED MILK

Several of the Doctors Uphold sucr
Theory, But Health officer Cleary Still
Insists That Lake Water is the Cause OF
the Disease Further Investigations
Will be Insisted Upon and Recommends
tions Will be Made to the Board.
The prevalence of typhoid fever has
aroused the notice of the Kenosha
County Medical Association, and Mon
day evening a special meeting of the
Association was called for the purpose
of taking some action toward the pre-
vention of the further spread of the
dread disease.
The meeting was held at the office of
DIR. Jorgensen, and the following ply
sicians were in attendance: Doctors
Ripley, Windesheim, Kimba11, Har-
bert, Cheever, Jorgenson, Lansdowne,
Andre and Health Officer C1eary.
Several hours were spent in discuss
| ing the rise of the epidemic, and all
the doctors present seemed to be con-
vinced that there was no doubt but
that the disease infesting the city was
i typhoid fever, and not a malignant
type of ma1aria1 fever, as has been
stated by some of the physicians.
In regard to the cause of the disease
appearing in the city at the present
time, the doctors are badly divided
Some of them, headed by DIR. C1eary,
the Health officer, hold that the disease
and it's spread is directly resultant
from the use of impure lake and well
water.
Other doctors present took another
view &C the case, and held that the
conditions under which the disease was
developed tended to show that the use
of impure, diseased cows milk was at
least the cause of quite a number if not
all the cases in the city. In support
i of this theory it was shown that in
many cases where the disease had been
found in it's most malignant form the
patient had not been using either lake
or well water, but had been supplied
with artesian water.
In order to convince the doctors that
! the water is not to blame the medica
society will see to it that a sample Of
: as from the wells in the city is sent t.
Madison and properly examined under
the direction of the state board o.
health.
The doctors who held that the mill
sold in the city was responsible for The
spread of the disease, had figured t.
show that in nearly every case where
typhoid had been discovered the mill
used had come from one of the genera
dealers, who was in the habit of secur
ing milk from ali parts of the county
The doctors state that the germ of the
fever is found in the excretions from
the body and that these excretions
have found their way to the milk cans
and bottles through the water used in
cleansing them.
The sewerage of the city in many
places is faulty and in this manner
some of the impurities find their way
back to the water pipes and carry with
them the germs of the fever.
No action was taken in regard to the
prevention of the disease, but the
doctors will conduct a closer examina-
ton of the causes of it during the next
week and ait the meeting of the asso-
citation on the first Friday in October
some recommendations will be made to
the city health board in regard to the
prevention OF the spread of the disease.
A r N A IN