Evening journal., 1899-10-02
REPORT OBTAINED BY TIE Po-
LICE ON sATURDAY-oPINIoNs
OF DIR. WALES. PRESIDENT. AND
SECRETARY wIGGLEswORTH.
OF THE BOARD OF HEALTH.

slcians are at loggerheads on the sub
ject, and from appearances never VIII
agree.
In order to give the public some idea
OF the extent OF the fever In the vicin-
ity OF the spring Chief Dolan Satur-
day detailed four officers to visit the
infected district, and make inquiries as
to the extent OF the disease
Each officer was furnished with the
following list Of questions to be pro-
pounded:
Number OF house.
Name Of occupant.
How many In the family?
Have you any sickness in tho family
What does the family physician say
ails the patient?
Does the family use the water from
the spring at Fourth and Franklin
streets?
Have they had any sickness in the
family recently; II 50, what was the
nature Of the sickness?
Is the callar dry or damp?
After the officers had completed
their investigation they turned in a re-
port to Chief DOlan, from which the
following was prepared:
Wilmington. Del. Sept. 30, 1899.
A canvas made by the Police Depart
ment on this date OF that portion OF the
city situated between Second and
Sixth streets. and from Harrison to-
Bro0me streets, including both sides OF
the aforementioned streets, to ascer-
tain the amount Of sickness. together
with the nature OF said sickness, also
to ascertain whether the afflicted par
sons have been using the water from
the spring situated at the corner Of
Fourth and Franklin streets:
Number Of houses inspected .... 40l
Population ..... .... .......... 1887
Cases OF sickness ................ 157
Typhoid fever and use OF the
spring water . ...... .. 81
Typhoid fever and do not use the
spring water ...... ........ s
Intermittent fever and use the
spring water ..... ............ AZ
Intermittent fever and do not use
the spring water .............. A
Malarial fever and use the water. 81
Malarial fever and do not use the
water ........ zee. ........... u
Chills and fever and use the water 5-
Dysentery and use the water. j
Lung trouble and use the water. j
Colds and do not use the water. 2
Gastrits ..... ...... -........... ]
Pneumonia and do not use the
water .... ........... ...... !
Neuralgia and do not use the
water ......... ............. 1
Families who have sickness and
use the spring water .. GO
Families who have sickness and
do not use the water .. 32
Families who have no sickness
and use the spring water. . 1856
Families who have no sickness
and do not use the water .... 10S
Dry cellars ........ .......... 266
Damp cellars ......... ........... 80
BY the above report 1t will be seen
that out OF seventy-tw0 cases OF ty-
phoid fever all but five have been in
the habit OF using the water from the
Franklin street spring
AS before stated there is a diversity
OF opinion among physicians regarding
the Franklin street spring, many hold
ing that the water has nothing TO do
with the disease.
When called upon by an Evening
Journal reporter and shown the report
prepared by Chief Dolan, DR.. John p.
Wales, president OF the Board of
Health, said: Unfortunately the po-
lice are not physicians and am sorry
to say that many OF my professional
brethren are too lOathe to pronounce
other fevers typhoid.
"As for the matter OF the Franklin
street spring the Board Of Health will
take no action towards shutting 1t OF
until IL is passed upon by the state
bacteriologist. He has already de-
clared the spring water TO be chemi-
cally pure. although 1t may develop
later that disease germs exist. There
Is no necessity of shutting off the
water, as it has become widely spread
that the water is unhealthy and per.
sons are not compelled to drink II
Another peculiar fact is that the same
water that supplies the spring al
Fourth and Franklin streets passe,
from the spring on Fourth street be
tween Madison and Monroe streets and
yet there is no fever to any extent IL
that section Of the city. / myself tool
a long draught of the Franklin stree
spring water last Monday and feel NJ
ill-effects from It."
Continuing. DR.. Wales stated that h'
had not only sent sample OF thi
Franklin street spring water to be an
/ alyzed, but also of the Brandywini
creek and from the spring at Third ant
Tatnall streets The latter" adde'
the physician. lis the most likely to b.
contaminated.
Secretary Wigglesworth, OF tn
Board of Health, when interviewed o.
the typhoid fever question, made tn
following statement:
About two weeks ago the Board o
Health received reports of sickness i
the neighborhood mentioned l sen
the four executive officers of the boar
there to make house-to-house can