Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-10-26

commenced. The size of the epidemic
pointed to the public water supply, anu
the disease was especially notlceu
among those who used this supply, ana
it was further noticed that the increase
in the disease followed the rains When
the large numbers of bacteria as al
ready stated were found in the water.
The decrease followed the rains mlre
slowly in Fairfield, and was not so
marked, and thus can be explained py
tho water being first pumped into the
reservoir before being used by the ar
field people and some OF the pac'ei i''
perishing.
At this point Mr.. Whipple's testimony
was Interrupted for the purpose OF IN
Producing other witnesses ana Dr. r.
6. Merrill, Mr.. II. A. Sawyer ana MT.
and Mrs. Clifford Morrill, were sworn.
DIR. Merrill took the stand. lie was
civ physician during the larger part OF
the epidemic and on September 26. 1902.
WAS called to the aims house to attend
one Joseph King who was taken SICK in
the citv and removed to the aims house.
Dr Merrill pronounced the disease to
he tvphoid fever and gave Mr.. Sawyer,
tho keeper of the aims house, directions
for using disinfectants. Mr.. King left
the aims house, October A, but was up
about the house for some few days be-
fore going.
Mr.. Sawyer, who was next called, told
of his attempts at disfecting the bath
room while Mr.. King was around the
house. He told of the sanitary arrange
ments which consisted of three cess
pools, one used for sink water and the
other two for other sewerage. Some
time after Mr.. King left the aims house,
the contents of these cess pools, consist
ing of IL or 10 hogsheads were spread
upon the ground in the aims house gar
den. Mr.. Sawyer estimates this garden
to be about 500 yards from the Mesa
lonskee stream and the slope of the land
is towards the stream.
Laura j. Morrill,, the wife of Clifford
Morrill,, was next called. There is q
small brook running past the Morrill,
place and emptying into the Messalon-
skee about three-quarters of mile
away. Mrs. Morrill, had taken care of
an old lady who lived across the road,
and had been brought to her because
other members of the household where
the old lady lived We're sick. The old
lady was brought to her house in Sep
tember of last year, and remained there
until the Goth of October, when Mrs.
Morrill, herself was taken sick. Mrs.
Morrill, told of the attempts at disin-
fecting which she had made, which SIM
| ply consisted in the use of a small
amount of carbolic acid which was SIM
| ply thrown upon the eXcrement before
| it was thrown into the earth closet.
| This closet was cleaned out the first
| week in November, and as Mr.. Merrill,
who next testified said the contents
were placed in a field on the surface of
the ground and about 40 feet from the
| brook. Mrs. Morrill, testified that a
young lady in the house across the road
was taken sick about the middle OF
June, and that the owner of the place
conducted a milk route until he was
himself taken sick with typhoid fever.
She testified that these people used well
water and she herself used water for
drinking purposs from a spring on the
premises.
| DR. C. w. Abbott was next called and
said that he had attended the case of
Mrs. Studley, the old lady who was TAX
en- sick and pronounced her case to be
one of typhoid fever. He said that Mrs
J. w. Merrill also had the typhoid fever
| MIR. Whipple was again put on the
stand and read a list of the new cases
of typhoid fever for each day they oc-
Cured in November, December and
January. In November there were &c
new cases, in December Ga, and in jan
uary SO. On the first day of January
there We're 10 new cases.
Mr. Whipple introduced large blue
print which showed the typhoid fever
cases and represented the work done
by himself and DR.. Levy in the way of
analysis.
| Mr. Whipple in referring to the cases
at the aims house and at the MerrillS,
said that the germ of typhoid will live
for long time in the feces, and most
probably was washed from the ground
to the stream and SO contaminated the
| water.
This testimony occupied the time UP
to II o'clock. when the court adjourned
to convene again on Monday.
The testimony was in places quite
! technical, but for the most part was
much more interesting to the casual
nearer than most of the testimony
which has thus for been given in the