New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-25
WILLIAMS is BAFFLED.
Source of Disease Possibly in Some
Neighboying Toscn.
my TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRIBUNE

a
dents and professors of Williams alike are set
ting down TO a battling but exciting chase foT me
source OF the infection. which suddenly attacked
ct least nine students at the same time and has
mace no further invasions- Under the direction
OF a sanitary expert. DR.. George H. soper' 10
whom the New York State health authorltles
appealed during the darkest Gays of the typhoid
epidemic at Cornell when there were nearly a
thousand cases OF typhoid and many oeaths' a
rigid and exhaustive scientific Investigation Is
being conducted in the hope Of discovering the
source OF the infection Practically all fear Of
an extension Of the infection has passed, college
exercises continue calmly, and even the anxious
parents who telegraphed for their sons instant
home coming have become treasured; but the
habitat Of the typhoid germ remains as yet IN
discovered.
Exactly q week has passed since the fact was
established that typhoid existed at Williams
For two days several students had been in The
sunrrary, but Il was only wednesday Of last
week that the local authorities finally decided
rhst the men had the fever. At that time Presi-
dent Henry Hopkins was in New-York City.
message reached him at ] O'Clock; at $50 O'Clock
he was on his way 20 williamstown, and had
with him Dr. George Il. Soper and W. H Parks,
one sanitary expert Of national reputation, the
other a bacteriologist. At 8 O'Clock that evening
she doctors OF williarlstovvn, the local Board Of
sulfation. and thus promptly did the fight
against the disease begin
IN the mean time the news Of the sudden out
break was circulated through the country by
she press. ana hundreds of kilograms poured in
s-cn parents who wished their sons sent home
ct once. For a few hours there was genuine
scare; the memories Of the fearful epidemic al
Cornell as well as similar times at Wesleyan
End Princeton, gave serious impression abroad
lie sd lie
rest; tbs students were apprehensive- For
swenty-four hours the situation was grave anu
Il was common talk in the college that there
would be vacation not planned for IN the cal
endsr.
But at this point President Hopkins and DR..
Eoper both took a hand Calling the students
1ogether. Dr. Hopkins told them the exact stu
stion. promised TO conceal no detail of the fu-
sure DEVELOPMENT Of the trouble, invited them
20 talk over the question with DR.. Soper and
promised 10 take instant action il the next few
GAYS showed an increase in the disease He
shen told them what was 20 be done to fight the
danger, and every morning thereafter he report
ed the condition Of the sick. Happily he had no
new cases 10 announce. for the entire infection
came at once Five cases were diagnosed at one
time and four students, already reported as H.
later proved to have been infected.
Nine cases Of actual typhoid, coming suddenly
81 z small college renowned for its health,
sorely taxed the resources Of the college inhrn-
e-y and the first task undertaken by DR.. Soper
wss the proper care Of the sick The worst
rhase OF the Cornell epidemic was the lack
of proper measures to prevent infection
through the sick This resulted, in the words
Of physician who was on the spot al that time,
in there being not one or two, but thousand,
sources of infecuon-as many. indeed, there
were cases" To meet this situation ten trained
nurses we're secured and hospital organized.
rlr. Soper. who directed this. vas sent TO Cal
weston al the time Of the great disaster by the
new-York Chamber OF Commerce. and there
faced the problem Of dispoeing Of 5000 bodies
80 avert plague. The organization Of the hos
pitsl was the primary step
AS soon the hospital was in proper con-
clifton for any future extension OF the disease,
Their cane The problem OF the source Of in
fection- The most usual source is the water
euptsy, ana this was attacked first. Visits were
mace 70 the two reservoirs These are back IN
-he mountains and Il was found thai they we're
absolutely pure; indeed. the report on the water
supply was in the nature OF Endorsement
that may send some mineral spring company 10
nilliamstown 70 use the water, with the in
corseme1t for a testimonial Next the milk
supply was carefully inspected. Twenty or
rhirty diaries OF the mountain hiIlsides supply
Tie various Fraternity houses. boarding houses
sno lunch-oons OF The college town. But with
the most careful examination not a trace Of
ryphoid sources could be discovered. Dr.. Soper
was obliged 10 apologize not merely 10 The
water supply but also 20 the WiiliamStovn
farmers
with the most obvious possibilities exhausted
She next step was through the individuals. The
sick men were carefully interrogaJed- a glim-
sner OF hope was discovered in the fact that
nearly al q the infected students had been to
football game az Newton some days before,
snd the opinion gained ground that the infection
might prove 10 be outside the limits OF the col
1ege entirely. But some Of the sick had not
been away and none Of the players were i'll and
that theory weakened. Then came the question
Of oysters Raw oysters are recognized 10 be 2
fruitful source q typhoid, and again hope
raised when mournful patient re-
rnembered some oelicious raw oysters he had
eaten;; but even that failed through lack Of
other cases. With al the easier sources ex-
hsustec, Dr.. Soper has been driven back upon
the remote, and even admits that, while he
means TO work increasingly y discover the
source. II there are no further outbreaks il may
Yrove that either because II lies outside or be-
found.
on have IN unusually interesting situation
fere." said d. Soper 70 The Tribune correspond
ent- Here Is a self-respecting. unusually in
Teiligent and clearly community; an admirable
water supply, FED from the mountains 2 mix
supply that 50 far has shown no evidences OF
Infection. The conege grounds are Satisfac-
rcrily drained. both surface and underground
snd Yet suddenly there comes this outbreak
which has many extremely interesting scien-
tlic phases. There lie no cause, so far as We
can yet ind out but at all events. we are now
ready 20 meet any emergency We have elirni-
quite finished our inspection Of the milk supply
but there is not one chance in q hundred that
DR. soper declared that there could be m
Comparison between the present outbreak al
Williams and that al Cornell, owing, in large
measure. 70 the rerressive measures taken so
promptly in the present instance Ee refused 10
rake any conjecture as 10 the future, but
pointed out that there had been no cases
for q week. and that the theory that the source
lay outside OF WillianstoHn, possibly in North
Adams where the disease is prevalent, and 70
which q streetcsr line runs from WilliamstOwn.
~ IL other places where the football team and