The Washington times., 1902-08-13
Spread IS Attributed to
Quality of Potomac
Water Supply,
SITUATION NOT ALARMING
Health Department Believes There Will
Be No Epidemic-Milk Infection and
Mosquito Theories are Secuted
Thirty-o one Deaths Last July.

From some cause not easy of explana-
tion there is considerable increase of
typhoid fever in the District.
Under tho operation of a law enacted
at the last session of Congress, ply
sicians are now required to report to
the Health Officer cases OF typhoid fever
just as they have hitherto done in cases
of scarlet fever and diphtheria. The
purpose of the law was to put the de-
partment in possession of the facts re-
garding this malady with a view to
finding out the causes and, if possible,
removing them.
Now Io4 Cases Being Treated.
There are at present 194 eases of
typhoid under treatment, in the Dis
trict Though there are no Statistics to
proyey It, 2 tiltst nitn,her is'iregarded as
much larger than at any other time for
several years. The cases are widely
scattered over the District, and are
among all classes Of the population
This points. the health officials believe.
to infection from Potomac water, and
not TO any purely local conditions such
as unsanitary houses or defective
plumbing.
The suggestion that the disease may
be transmitted through contaminated
milk does not find credence with the ON,
cials. for the reason that they have no.
been able to trace the infection to that
source. All Investigations seem to poin,
TO 4 cause other than the milk supply.
and for want of better cause it is as
signed TO the drinking water.
Mosquito Theory Discredited.
The mosquito theory also is practi
cally dispelled by the very wide preva
ience of the disease away from the Po
tomac and the Eastern Branch. where
the insects are thickest
The only basis CT comparison as to
the prevalence of typhoid fever that is
TO be confidently relied upon is through
the mo-tuary statistics kept on file in
the Health Department. These are not
considered very satisfactory. because in
them Only the deaths from typhoid are
recorded. On this line, DIR. ". c.
Woodward. the Health officer. yester-
day furnished the following figures:
Thirty-one Deaths in July.
Up u anu iuCiuulub lful. AHt aver
age number of deaths from typhoid in
the District in the month of July has
been 15.3, whereas in July-sf, this, gear
81 deaths from the fever were, ,reporteS.
During the first week OF the present
month there were eleven deaths. The
number OF deaths and the number of
cases increase during August and Sep
temher, and usually reach their highest
point in October. There is always a
great slump in November q"
For the past twenty-five years August
has shown an average CT PA deaths;
September, 22.3 deaths; October, 23.5
deaths. and November. Il deaths
Against the II deaths of the first week
in August this year there were but
last year. The week ending July 26
this year there were deaths and
similar number last year. The week
ended July 19 this year there were
week of last year there were but
deaths
Situation Not Alarming.
The Health officer is in no wise
alarmed over the reported prevalence of
the disease. 1t is in no way epidemic.
and he does not think it will be. In
Washington, under present conditions,
typhoid fever is to be expected at this
season of the year. II varies in extent
from year to year. and the seeming in
crease this summer is not regarded as
any direct Indication of the growing
danger from the water supply. For one
reason and another, il is believed
larger number of people than usual have
been found in condition to be affected
by the contagion. supposedly always
present in the Potomac water.