The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-19
DISCUSSION AFFECTING A HEALTH
RESORT.

Chicago papers are engaged in a discus
sion regarding an alleged deleterious re-
suit of some of the water used at French
State. The discussion began with the pub
LEGATION of a story by the Chicago News
that typhoid fever was epidemic at the
springs. This was promptly denied by a
telegram from several prominent railroad
men and citizens at the springs, who said
out any foundation. The manager of
French Lick Hotel sent telegram in which
he said:
There is no epidemic of any sort here,
much less one of typhoid fever. We have
more than 400 guests here in the hotel at
present and our house physician reports
but one case of illness to-day. All of the
drinking water that we serve here comes
from a deep. fresh water spring located at
distill and afterward filter twice and then
boil before serving it to our guests.
l have no idea what may be the animus
of the stories that have been circulated
about this hotel-certainiy they have no
foundation I'm fact. The people who assert
that they have been i'll with bowel trouble
since coming here need not be alarmed.
The spring waters here usually AFFECT one
that way at first, but 1t passes off after
few days. The vomiting is not unusual
If one overindulges in the mineral water
here.
The trouble is that many people come
here and, disregarding our warning to con-
suit our physician before taking the waters,
which Is posted in every room, go ahead
and drink either too much of the waters or
not the right kind. They are also careless
about eating. AS a result their stomachs
become upset and they have attacks of
bowel trouble, but this disappears as soon
as they settle down to a proper regimen.
The natural first result of the use of the
waters is to clean out the system. and peo-
pie who are not familiar with their effects
are likely to be alarmed, but all the old
timers here know what to expect. The cir
culation of such reports was published
| In one of the Chicago afternoon papers to-
| day Is a great injustice to this hotel and
| to the French Lick Springs. There is nc
| epidemic of any sort here, and those who
have gone back to Chicago i'll are prob
| ably experiencing only the natural and
| expected results of the water.
Against these denials the Chicago Rec
| ord-Herald gives the rames of eight citi-
zens Of that place who have come home
seriously ill from French Lick. A Chicago
| physician claims to have discovered the
source of the trouble in the table water
used at the hotel, which he says comes
| from a spring under the hotel which he
| believes to be contaminated with surface
water. The physician brought away sam.
| pies OF the spring water which are now
being analysed by the Chicago health com
mission. The explanation offered by the
manager OF the hotel that recent cases OF
! sickness have been caused by drinking the
mineral water too freely or unadvisedly
hardly holds good in view OF the fact thai
many thousands of persons who have beer
drinking the mineral water for years pas
have not been affected in that way. The
proprietors of the hotel will spare pain.
or expense to ascertain II there is any
thing wrong with the drinking water.