Evening journal., 1900-12-13
NEWSPAPER OPINION
The Causes Of typhoid

From the Washington Star.
The project for filtering the Potomac
river water is well under way. and
should be unremittingly pressed to the
point of early completion. This need
does not reflect q pamicky degree Of
public apprehension as to the health
fulness Of the water supply, but isl
based upon general principles. The
Potomac river water is at times
muddy, offensive TO the eye and to the
palate as a result of tho suspended
mari which it contains. Colon ha-
cilli are found in it, showing that OK
crement drains into it at some points I'm
its course But up TO this time no
typhoid bacteria have been discovered
in the Potomac water and in compari-
son with other rivers which supply
large cities, the conditions of its water
shed are favorable and its water gem
orally wholesome.
Some years ago the possible sources
Of Infection were three in number
the Potomac water. the milk supply
and the wells which were still in fire.
quent use throughout the district
Most OF the wells have now been
closed, certainly all that were ever
brought under suspicion on this ac-
count. Therefore the well menace may
be considered rs eliminated. There re-
main the Potomac water and the milk
as the sources from which this disease
may find its way into the human sys-
tenn. There is ample reason for sus-
pecting the milk at times. II is known
that the dairy conditions in the cOun-
try beyond the District are often verv
hn k,f . ], a..
OF an adequate inspection force. and in
the absence OF additional laws the con-
sumers of the District are in a large
measure at the mercy Of careless
dairymen
lnasmuch as a violent difference OF
opinion as to the better method OF
iiltration may possibly have the re-
gretable result of pOstponing definite
action, and inasmuch as a long time
must elapse even after the legislation
is secured before the filtration plan
can be installed, it is fortunate that
/ the typhoid fever cannot be traced
/ exclusively to the Potomac water: fOl
otherwise during this long interval oil
enforced use of the river water visitors
would be repelled from the capital
and residents would live in a state ol
panic.
While it is unwise to condemn
sweepingly and as the sole cause o.
! typhoid the Potomac water supply. Il
is, nevertheless, in the public interes
that every shadow of doubt should b.
removed, and it is the course of com
mon prudence to filter all the waite
which is supplied to the houses of th,
district, so that there may be no fu
ture apprehension. The community de
mands a filtration system which viii
serve as a guarantee TO the consumer
that the water supply has been rid, a
far as science will permit, of ever
deleteriOus substance, and that tn
system, whatever it may be, small b
] authoritatively determined at once.
When this has been done. if prone
p legislation has not meanwhile been en-
acted, there will remain only the mil
{ supply-Of all the broad possibl
causes of typhoid-to be suspected {
r responsibility FOR whatever typhoi
o may develop from local sources. It
not to be expected that even with tn
4 water filtered, the wells closed and tn
u milk subjected to the most rigid il
e spection typhoid will entirely disal
e pear from the district But the pul
lie health demands the adoption ,
a every possible remedy to keep II
chances of this disease at a minimum