The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1904-10-26
HERALD WILL PUBLISH FACTS.

The Herald has been asked
number of times to give more in
formation in regard to the existence of
typhoid in the city of North Yakima
and vicinity, and incidentally it has been
cussed roundly for giving the conditions
any publicity at all. There are those
who think that the way to deal with an
epidemic or threatened epidemic is to
keep secret all information in regard to
it. and that a town is injured by pub
lished reports of the existence of dis
ease. To these. and those who NAV cri-
ticize it. the Herald has this to say: We
believe that the public welfare and the
interests of every individual in Yakima
county demands that the fullest public
| ity possible be given to the findings of
DR.. Bebb. the bacteriologist working UNI
der the direction of the state board of
health. The theory that the town will
be hurt by a publication of these facts
is silly; everybody knows that the ex-
listing conditions will not last forever.
and that they are due to faults that
ought to be and will be corrected when
the attention of the people are called
to them. But if a few people living
elsewhere are so easily scared that the
publication of these facts will cause
them to stay away from North Yak
ina temporarily, or if their bodies are
in such condition that they are extra
ordinarily susceptible to the attacks of
disease that is not sweeping the people
of the valley down like the waving grass
before the scythe of time, let them stay
away; the town can better afford to
worry along for little while without
them than it can to go on in way that
surely will bring serious trouble upon us
all if persisted in.
Since DR.. Bebb began her work here
she has mad submitted for her examina-
ton something like $50 cases of suppos-
ed typhoid fever. About l25 of these
turned out to be real typhoid. and from
these there nave been a dozen or more
deaths. Many of the other cases were
severe. though the majority We're of a
very light form. Since the conditions
became known there has been an APP
parent desire on the part of all the citi
zcns of North Yakima to do all That
could be possibly be done to stamp out
the disease, and to remove the condi-
tons that made its existence possible.
The physicians of the city or nearly all
of them. have worked with DR.. Bcbb and
have assisted in every way possible
in getting the data that would show
the true conditions. The county and
city health officers have done all that
could reasonably be expected of them,
more perhaps, and yet the root of the
evil has not been touched. Whatever
we may say or think or wish. conditions
will not be different until we have a
purer and better water supply, a better
sewer system and deeper drainage. and
health officer who is paid a salary
sufficient to warrant first-class man
in devoting his entire time to the work.
The Herald published last week an
article from DR.. Bebb. in which no at
tempt was made to conceal the cause of
numerous deaths or the conditions that
may result in good many more. Further
information on the subject will be given
as obtained; there is little danger in the
energy of the officials and in their con-
scientiousness, and no less in the COM
mon sense of the people of North Yaki-
ma and environments, who will not rest
until the steps necessary for the CON-
plete eradication of the disease and re-
moval of the conditions causing it are
accomplished. In the meantime let us
add the advice of recognized authorities,
and impress it upon the minds of our
readers: Boil all water used for drink
ing and cooking purposes, thereby kill
ing the germs. This is a wise precau-
ton to take at any time. and especially
under the present conditions.