Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1903-11-18
Washington Experts Report on
Fever Situation
The fever situation in Lexin,

"" been but one new case since o.
ON tober 23rd, and that one W.
diagnosed on November LIST. A
at the sick cadets are convalescer
Be- with one exception, and will b
ISIS ISIS discharge from the hospital thi
" week.
The Washington experts in thei
Vi report say that inasmuch as mos
" OF the cases of fever this season
~ have been among the students O.
81 the colleges and the children Of
the public school, "this fact would
Or seem to indicate that a far larger
b, percentage Of the resident popu-
lie lation, especially adults, are
'e immune from previous mild attacks
or that special centers of infec-
=, ton are operative in causing the
d disease among the transient popu-
d latien and the unprotected younger
n members of the resident popuIa-
+. ton
They So" Lat a study of the
cases o. ,er Jefferson street, on
Washington street and among the
!, cadets at the Virginia Military
, Institute, several to point to local
centers of infection instead of a
general infection Of the water
supply; and the theory that flies
conveyed the infection and were
the responsible factors did not
appear tenable, because the rapid |
increase in the number of cases
occurred when these insects were
least numerous.
The statement below has been
prepared by the Lexington Board
Of Health for publication and
embraces parts of the report from
Washington experts who visited
Lexington several weeks ago. The
statement is as follows:
The report of Passed Assistant
Surgeons j. c. Perry and John f. .
Anderson made to Surgeon Gen
eral Wyman, u. S. Public Health
and Marine-IIospital Service, rela- I
tive to the prevalence of typhoid j
fever in Lexington has been re- {
ceived by the Board of Health. t
After giving in detail the results |
of their examination into condi- s
lions as they exist here they draw /
the following conclusions: i
81. That the general water t
supply, at its source or reservoir, {
is not infected. II
"2. That, on account of the h
leaks which have been reported in il
both the sewers and water mains t.
on the same street, there is W
strong probability of infection 81
of the water supply after it reaches Il
the town. t.
go. That the cases of fever le
are, in our opinion, due to local m
zed infection Of water and that &C
the conveyance of infection by 81
flies does not explain the rapid di
Increase and wide distribution of
he cases in the month of Octo- vi
Der.
81. That the present arrange
nent of cess-pOols in immediate NJ
opposition with hydrants from nj
which drinking water is occurred to
insanitary and should be remed- be
ed
IS. That, considering the O.,
typography and the location of Bl
Jack Spring and taking into con- J.
liberation the results Of bacteria ch
'gical examination of the water bo
rom this spring and from the On
'nk in the ice factory contain far
lg water from this spring, the wa
anufacture Of ice therefrom dat
lould be considered dangerous Brt
nd the spring should be closed =
n use for all purpose. of
"G. That the cadets of the ton
lstitute should be prohibited He
ON using the water from the Co,
ring located at the base of the Sh,
ii on which the Institute is yo,
tuated; that this spring should wol
closed, the water having been son
und infected with colon bacillus; Va,
I'd that, being under military val
ntrOl, the drinking water fur for,
shed the cadets should be boil Ne,
81. That arrangements in re- ing
ri to obtaining water in the for
at the Institute should NAL
remedied,
"S. That the present arrange W
mt of privies and disposal Of ~
'al matter is crude and is no sun
ubt factor in perpetuating the rI
'valence of typhoid fever in this bv :
vn; that measures should be ~ :,
zen to devise a system for the tnn;
posal of human excreta, and in WI Yr :,
S connection it may be sugges- ont
that the pail system properly S o"''
tailed and managed under , r
nicipal control would be the R PeI
best adapted to remedy the N
sting conditions. dont
y. That the great Importance rrnst
he proper and thorough disin- exer,
ton Of the discharges from wCr
sons suffering from typhoid read
er should be impressed upon Ruer
physicians and families of oo;vn
Sc affected; for this purpose we addr
chlorinated lime" Mms
enieC
concert at Chapel Tonight Char
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