The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-08-20
Seven Cases Reported To-
day, Making 262 Now
Under Treatment.
IS DISTRIBUTED BY FLIES
Health Officer Woodward Tells of Many
Proofs OF This Spread Of Infection,
and Advises Free Use of Screens.
Other Expert Opinion.

The prevalence Of typhoid fever con
tinues throughout the city and in the
suburbs, with a gradual increase in the
number Of cases reported daily. Yester-
day morning there were 255 cases under
treatment During the day twelve new
cases we're reported and seven were re-
ported cured. There were four deaths
yesterday, leaving this morning 256
cases under treatment. Up 10 noon seven
new cases were reported and one re
coveFy. leaving at noon 262 cases Of the
disease in the District.
The Health Department IS making a
careful study OF the situation, with a
view 10 finding out the most potent
causes of the mslady. In general way
the department has assigned the source
OF infection to the use Of Potomac wa
ter. though shey have found that other
causes have operated IN spreading the
infection.
Up to the present time fewer num-
Der Of typhoid fever cases have been re-
ported in Georgetown than were last
year. The prevalence of the disease in
Washington is causing some alarm
among the residents OF the West End.
The local physicians say that the IN
healthy condition Of re Potomac water
this year viii probably cause an increase
Of the disease. They recommend the
boiling of the wafer before drinking.
a number of typhoid fever patients
are now being treated at the George
town University Hospital But one
fs
typhoid fever in the West End this
year
Dr. Woodward's Opinion
Health officer Woodward is much in
terested in the spread Of the disease
He is a believer in the fly distribution
theory as we'll as the contaminated wa
ter theory.
The prevalence Of flies IN and about
the dwelling of a person suffering with
typhoid fever is generally taken into ac-
count IN any invess igation Of The causes
Of the nalady in h,t weather. ne said
today.
Dr. Woodward said that the custom
which is now nearly universal Of screen
ing the windows is one of the best pre-
cautions possible 70 avoid this disease
# the flies could he kept entirely out Of
the houses one important element in the
solution OF the problem Of stopping the
infection from this disease would be
elimina ted, he thought
Reference was made 10 2 long list OF
experiments made in this city in 1895.
when it was proved beyond any ques-
tioR that the disease Ras carried al
about small neighborhood from a cess
pool in the back yard OF house nearly
IN the center Of the neighborhood It
was established that the chief vehicle
OF the transmission of the germs was
by flies Dr.. Woodward stated that flies
caught at the time in the neighboring
houses were caused 10 walk over sensi-
tiZed plates and cultures taken from
their footprints. These showed that
typhoid germs were sticking TO the feet
Of the flies. The insects treated in
other ways also showed them to be
reeking with disease germs
Such flies, OF course. Dr. Woodward
said, would enter a house, come in con-
tact with food and leave the germs be-
hind He said that undoubtedly many
cases Of the disease were contracted in
this way.
Dr.. yeeder Secures Proof.
In The proceedings Of the Public
Health Association for the year. 1888 ap-
pears a paper on the subject by Dr..
n A. Veeder. of Lyons, y. 7, in which
the details Of similar experiments are
given These show that in a small and
badly drained house in Lyons two per-
sons we're taken III vita typhoid fever
The disease spread to the surrounding
houses and It was ascertained that e
was carried by flies The board Of
health Instituted an Investigation to as
certain how far these insects would car
" the infection. Results showed that il
was IN fact over a limited area, not far
Their than two city squares. That is 10
say, under conditions existing that sum
mer in Lyons the flies did not migrate
farther than Two city squares. This
gives some inkling as to the extent Of
the danger from fhfa sourca