The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-06-03
STATE SANITARY CONFERENCE.
Important Meeting Of Health Off.
GERS in Columbia.
SECOND CONVENTION OF The KIND

That Has Been Held in This State
Summary of the Address of
DR.. Geddinas on the Causes of Typhoid
Fever and the Means of its Propagation.
Columbia, May 28.-The State
Sanitary Conference was called to Or
der today by President Reardon, of
Sumter. This was the second conven-
tion that has been held. There were
in attendance: E. ]. r earon, Sumter,
president; Dr.. J. N. Green, Charles
ton, secretary, and Dr.. j W. Falk,
quarantine officer Of the port of George
town, vice president. Besides these
there were present, Drs. J. W.
Babcock, J. 81. Burkhalter, ". j.
Rivers, S. F. Williams, all of Colum-
bia; E. Il. Hayden, Summerville
Peter Bacot, State sanitary inspector,
Charleston F.. 7. Legare, Charles
ton; George Cofeld, health inspector,
Spartanburg; 7. Grange Simons,
chairman of State board of health,
Charleston d. J. Hydrick, Orange
burg; Secretary James Evans, Flor
ence; E. F. Darby, Magnolia; As
sistant United States Surgeon Gen.
eral q. D. Geddings, Washington; !;
G. M. Pollitzer, Charleston; James
W. Corbett and ". j. Dunn, of Cam
den; J. S. Martin, Camden; J. W.
Folk, Georgetown; Hall T. McGee,
Charleston; Henry Horlbeck, Col.
A. II. Hadyen, Summerville; T. II.
Moore, Camden; NJ W. Culp, Union !;
r. A. Lancaster and Lee G. Query,
Frank A Coward, of Columbia.
Dr.. T. Grange Simons stated that
an effort had been made to have the
organization recognized by the General
Assembly and that the outlook was
hopeful.
It was decided to have regular ses-
sions from 10 to o'clock, and at 4
O'Clock until evening. The programme
Of this afternoon was largely devoted
to considering papers on pure water.
Papers upon this topic were read by
DR.. T. Grange Simons, of Charleston,
and DR.. Folk, of Georgetown. DR..
E. F. Darby, president of the South
Carolina Medical Association, made
an address upon sanitation, Dr.. Robt
Wilson, Jr, of Charleston, discussed
Malaria urging an acceptance of
the theory that this disease was COM
municated to man by insects, probably
the mosquito, known as anopheles.
DR.. Geddings, who is sent as re-
preventative Of Surgeon General Wy
man, of the United States public
health and marine hospital service,
delivered a most interesting address
upon water supply as related to
typhoid fevers. The epidemic of
typhoid fever at Plymouth, Pa, has
become classical in medical history.
, No epidemic has been more through
ly investigated than this. The town
derives its water supply from branch
of the Susquehanna River. The sur
rounding territory is largely populated.
It was shown that suburbanite vas
brought from Philadelphia with
typhoid fever, in midwinter, when
the ground was covered with snow.
The dejecta we're carelessly thrown
out upon the hill side, where they re-
NAMED until the spring thaw, which
washed them down to the river, about
the intake pipe of the water supply of
Plymouth, and the source Of the
epidemic was not discovered until
typhoid fever had demoralized the
whole community, and doctors and
nurses from other towns and cities
were brought in to assist in caring for
the numerous fever patients. SPRING
field, Mass, which was noted for it's
pure water supply, was invaded by
typhoid fever in the early SOS. The
| source of that invasion was traced to
the milk supply. Investigation show
ed that the disease was confined to a
single milk route for some time. The
infection took place through leaks in
the milk cans, which had been placed
in small stream to cool.
An epidemic in Savannah, in the
spring of 1894, was traced to infection
of the Savannah River, through a
canal receiving sewerage and empty
ing into the river above the intake wa
ter pipe. Although this explanation
of the epidemic was vigorously COM
bated the number of new cases Of
typhoid fever rapidly ceased after the
water of the Savannah River was cut
of, and the new supply introduced
from Artesian wells. Instances might
be multiplied ad indnitum, proving
that Infection has gained access to
the water supply through the dejecta
of typhoid patients. The lesson
taught was that the people should be
shown the necessity of guarding their
water supplies and so preventing these
epidemics, which are attended with
great suffering and mortality. There
can be no more important subject than
the careful guarding of the water
supply against sewerage contamina-
tion. Typhoid fever is an intestinal
| trouble, and it is only fair to assume
that a water supply proven to be
affected by sewerage will sooner or
later produce typhoid fever.
What can be done to prevent it? He
believed that the curse of the smaller
communities is the reckless disposal
of household waste and sewerage.
| Surface wells are means of gathering
surface water. It can be shown that