The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1903-10-21
EXAGGERATED REPORTS OF
DISEASE INJURE YAKIMA
Investigation by an Expert to Settle
the Question as to Our
Healthfulness.

YAKIMA mas some knockeTs. UNIV
tunately the term in this instance can
not be confined to the constitutional
kicker who haunts the street corners
and invidiously worms himself into the
conversation of chance passers-by, to
divest himself of a job lot of misinfor-
nation. On the question at present at
issue the community has not only to
contend with that class, but with in
fluences having a much wider scope
Some physicians and some newspaper
men insist in efforts to circulate the It'd
ings that this section is laboring under
the blighting influence of an epidemic
of typhoid fever. In fact, the reports
that this dread disease is stalking
abroad in our midst has gained such
ascendency, that the health boards of
the county and city deemed it advisable
to call in the expert knowledge of F.
Cauthorn, A. NJ, M. D., of Portland, to
give an official investigation and opin-
ion of health conditions in this COM
munity. DIR. Cauthorn arrived on Tues
day, and put in full time up to Friday
afternoon in an inquiry of causes that
would lead to reported conditions. The
doctor left for his home Friday after
noon, with data from which he will
make his report to the health boards.
he o11 10,
while in the city was that an analysis
of the city water failed to show the
carrying of any typhus animaculae or
germs of other contagious diseases.
Nothing is more certain, however,
than the fact that the continued reit-
Grafton by those in position to
carry weight with the declaration that
typhoid is epidemic here, is doing great
harm to the community. A real estate
man informed the Herald last week
that he had practically closed the
deal for farm with man
from South Dakota, but before the
papers We're drawn "knocker"had a
talk with the prospective buyer, who
subsequently told the dealer that, while
he recognized that this section offered
superior advantages in many ways to
that of his home state, he thought the
question of health was paramount to
any other and he therefore declined to
purchase and returned to his old home
The proposition of a typhoid epidemic
which does not increase the proportion
of deaths above the normal, is one hard
to realize, from a layman's standpoint
NorthYakima is the center of vast
population. all the various vale. g.
Ahtanum. Wide Hollow, Cowychee.
Matches, Selah, Wenas, Mckee and as
far down as Old Town-sending to this
city for medical assistance, and, if needs
be, for baskets, grave diggers and those
who sing the final requiem. The popu-
lation within the limits above prescrib-
ed will reach not less than l2,0OO-prob-
ably $4,000 would more nearly approx
mate the figure. The death rate runs
about II or 10 per month-not enormous
when compared with the statistics of
other sections, especially when it is
considered that numbers of i'll advised
health seekers, in the last stages of
disease, come here in anticipation of
cure.
Up to within few years ago, typhoid
fever was not on the list of diseases
in this section; but, since we have had
an influx of knockers" and a similar