Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-25
GUARD AGAlA 5. I !
o.
Measure to Prevent. Spread
Of Typhoid Fever.
HEALTH OFFICE DATA
uP-R1vER TOWN UNDERGOING A
SCOURaE.
Made That Washing
tonians Boil Potomac Water Be-
fore Using It.

The people of the District are advised by
the health officer to boil Potomac water
before using for fear typhoid germs might
be lurking in the muddy river. This advice
is not meant to be taken as precaution
of ordinary times, but necessity for an
extraordinary emergency. According to
the health officer, there Is danger of many
typhoid germs being found in the water,
and his advice Is in the nature Of warn
ing. It is stated that typhoid Is raging at
Mount Savage, Md, which has no sewage
system. The town is on steep hillside,
and the drainage is into a creek that
empties into the Potomac.
On the strength of these circumstances
the health officer has issued the following
statement:
There have recently occurred at Mount
Savage, near Cumberland, Nd, 100 cases
of typhoid fever, the population Of the
town, according to the United States census
of 1900, being but 2,645. The town has no
sewerage system, surface closets being used
exclusively. 1t Is on steep hillsides, and the
rains do most of the scavengfng Jennings
drains the town and empties into Wills
creek about three miles above Cumberland.
Wills creek empties into the north branch
of the Potomac river at Cumberland.
An Instance Cited.
when 1t is remembered that the outbreak
of typhoid fever in this District in the win
ter of 1899 1900 followed closely upon an
outbreak of typhoid fever in Cumberland
and vicinity, a part of the drainage from
that locality then flowing into Wills creek,
and when it is known that the local out
break was attributed by those best able to
judge to the prevalence of the disease at
Cumberland, the possibilities of the present
outbreak are apparent. 1t is said that dis
infection at Mount Savage is now being
"a nd IA hn II to,
subsiding. 1t will be well, however, to err
on the side of safety, and particularly at
the present time, to drink Potomac
water which has not been boiled
Health Officer Woodward held a confer
ence with Commissioner mcfarland this
morning and explained to him the situa-
ton. DR.. Woodward stated that he was in
close touch with the Maryland health au-
thorities, and that every precaution would
be taken to prevent the spread Of the cpl
demic to this city Both the Commissioner
and DR.. Woodward view the situation with
some alarm, although each says that the
fact of the prevalence of typhoid at Mount
Savage does not necessarily mean that the
infection will reach here, 1t is the inten-
ton Of the District officials to do every
thing that can be done to prevent any fur
Their spread, in this section at least, and
Commissioner mcfarland has authorized
DR.. Woodward to use all means in his
power to keep Washington free Of the
germs.
Increase Of Fifty Cases.
The fact that there was an Increase of
fifty cases of typhoid in the returns SO far
for the month of August over the month
Of September would tend to show that
there has been some infection already from
Mount Savage. DR.. Woodward states that
this increase may be an accident, however,
because the returns for the two months,
July and August, for 1904, will average
with those of the same two months of 1908
According to the figures given out today
t,xy A,- .,l1 -
July, 1903, there were 122 cases Of typhoid
in the District In August of the same
year there were 135 cases, giving the two
months total Of 257 cases. The returns
for July of this year show but 101 cases,
and for August up to today, 151 cases, an
increase of 90 cases over last month, but
decrease of cases over the report of the
two months last year.
First Notice Of Outbreak.
The local health authorities first heard Of
the outbreak at Mt. Savage Saturday last,
when DR.. Woodward's attention was called
to a paragraph in a local newspaper dated
August 5, stating that large number Of
cases had been developed in Mt. Savage
After investigation DR.. Woodward wrote,
Monday last, to DR.. John s. Fulton, secre-
tary of the state board of health OF Mary
ed epidemic and requesting Information as
to the origin, cause, etc.
DR.. Fulton replied yesterday with long
letteI IcNlcWlH6 tLc CoHuItioIS, Jul nc oiu
not state when the first case was discov-
cred. He did state, however, that the cpl
demic was Explosive in character"
great number of cases coming to the at
tention of the physicians at one time. Five
of the cases reported, he said, developed In
the last eight days.
Dr. Woodward was asked by a Star re-
porter If the Maryland authorities were not
tardy in making known to the District
government SO important a matter as an
epidemic of typhoid. He stated in reply
hot {c &c nhah ha Nor nd off nia1
never gave the District thought in the
premises. They probably considered the
place infected as too remote to affect any
other city or town.