The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1903-01-21
BOIL DRINKING WATER,
Typhoid Fever Germs Lurking
In River Water.
Ia Cases of fever Now at City HOspi-
tai-Not SO many New Cases as
There were Two Weeks Ago--But
few Fatalities.


tai-Not SO many New Cases as
There were Two Weeks Ago-But
few Fatalities.
The many cases of typhoid fever
nov in town should warn every one
TO be careful of all sanitary condi-
tion and especially to boil the drink
ing water. There are IL cases of
fever now in the city hospital, beside
those at the Hartigan hospital and
the large number who cannot be in-
duced to go to any hospital. The
number of new cases seems To be
som ewhat less than it was two
weeks ago, but still there are enough
to create the belief that something
is wrong somewhere.
The disease has become almost
epidemic, at least endemic, which
means epidemic within certain linn
its. IL has not been ia the most
violent form, and few fatalities have
resulted. However the seriousness
of the situation Is sufficient TO war
rant an investigation into the causes
of the epidemic at this season, and
to make every one more than usually
careful to prevent disease.
ALI the physicians agree that
there are more cases here this win
ter than ever before in midwinter.
OF course there are MANY more PEG
pie, but the number leases seems
proportionately larger than the num-
Der of people. Typhoid fever is
generally expected to be more prev
client in the latter part of summer
and the fall months than in mid
wiuter
No one can say with authority
and without investigation just what
is the cause for more cases of fever
than usual. The physicians are
practically unanimous in the opinion
however, that the source of injection
is our drinking water.
One physician asserts that SO far
as he knows, not single case has
occurred where the families have
been careful to boil all drinking
water before using, and he has made
close observation purposely TO de-
termine this very fact. The few
cases that have occurred in families
where the water was boiled can be
traced to the use of impure water
when the parties we're away from
home for time. A case or two of
this kind has occurred, where the
victim contracted the disease just at
the tight time TO have gotten the
germs while away on a visit where
so much care was not exercised with
the water.
The advice of the physicians is to
boil all drinking water, so as to
make sure of no infection from that
source. Freezing will not kill the
disease germs.
Instances have been recorded of
terrible fever epidemics resulting
from contamination of the water
supply OF city or town. Recently
the little town of Plymouth Pa. suf
fered scourge of this kind. The
source of water supply was stream
flowing through the town. A man
living away up in the mountain on
the bank of this same stream, isolat-
ed from other people, went to Phila-
delphia and took typhoid fever som
after his return home. II was win
ter and snow on the ground. No
lconveniences at the house. All
waste thrown out on the snow. This
snow was melted away, accompanied
by heavy raius. In a short time
there were 1400 cases of fever in the
one town of Plymouth. Investiga
tron proved that the source OF in
lection was the poison carried into
the city's water supply from this
little house on the banks of the
stream. The freshet had carried the
impurities into the river all at
once.
There are many sources of infec-
tion along the banks of the Monon-
gahela, which high stage of water,
such as we had all through Deem
Der, reaches, and the poison is dis
tributed through the water, which is
then pumped into the reservoir. As
every one knows the water comes
from the reservoir in a terribly
muddy condition after these fresh
cts, and of course when the filter
does not reserve mud from the water
it cannot reserve disease germs.
The only safe plan is to boil all
drinking water.
Typhoid fever is dangerous dis
ease under the most favorable con-
ditions, and under such conditions
as some cases are treated it can
hardly result otherwise than fatal
~.
A case in point is an Italian now
sick with fever on the West Side, in
shanty with a dozen or more of
his countrymen. They have been
feeding him with grapes and tropic-
al fruits of various kinds, and keep
ing up continual confusion aaound
him, while his fever Is raging at los
degrees. Yet they will not consent
to send him to the hospital. Many
cases are treated under condition
hattar than these hut atill had