New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-10-13
CASES OF TYPHOID.
Large Decrease in Number Since
Filtering Water.

Have you ever noticed" said DR.. Ernest
Leder1e. speaking before the domestic science
department Of Brooklyn Institute yesterday
how your friends are apt to come down with
typhoid fever Just after they get back from
nice. long summer in the country or in Europe?
Just about this time in the year the typhoid
death rate always rises In New-York. That's
because people have been staying in little places
where they were not as well protected as they
are IN New-York
If guns have been growing bigger and bigger
and more able TO kill people in mass during the
last century, the peaceful sand filter has kept
pace with them. in the saving Of lives. Albany
once took straight Hudson for it's drinking fluid,
meTrily regardless of Troy, nine miles above,
pouring its sewage into the stream. Each year
more people died of typhoid. The city put
filter in its water system and the typhoid rate
dropped "A per cent in two months In reply to
an inquiry as to results. an Albany physician
responded rather patheticallyI There are
| hardly enough typhoid cases to show the stu
dents now, and it has made distinct difference
in the incomes OF physicians" Similar figures
have come from all over the world. Hamburg
reduced her typhoid rate 80 per cent, Zurich, 81
per cent; Lawrence. Mass. 70 per cent; Newark,
a per cent? Jersey City. 60 per cent. and Lowell
70 per cent Pittsburg's typhoid death rate has
grown yearly. till now her water supply Is to be
| is saved is simply bed of sand. through which
all water filters before going into the city. It
has to be scraped off every few days. as a hard
deposit forms, through which the water cannot
pass This IS the deposit which would other
wise be in the stomach. Properly filtered water
comes through perfectly pure. so that the vilest
water is rendered drinkabIe,
You Brooklyn people should be specially IN
terested in all this" said DR.. Lederle for we
MAJ rr2T,
Of typhoid outbreaks in some of your wards"
The next most dangerous fluid is milk In
fact, 1t seems likely that both water and milk
have killed more victims than the rum fend"
The Health Department had eighty-six cases
OF typhoid in six weeks in a little village III
Queens said DR.. Lederle. I'VE found that
elghty-four were in families which took milk
from the same milkman We examined his
place and found it not worse than many others
But his child had had typhoid, and the we'll
water used for washing the cans-pOssibly for
thinning the miik-had germs in It. When we
see now country and village people live with
shallow well close TO the outhouses. we Won
der how they live at all The reason is that
well may be contaminated for years and still
not have typhoid germs in it. But if there is
typhoid in the house it is bound to get into the
water Also, some people can use water with
typhoid germs in it and not have typhoid.
1t is not necessary to have what is called a
high toned gilt edged place in order to produce
a good quality Of clean milk. Here is one milk
farm which receives inquiries from Europe as
10 It's methods Of handling milk. The eight
hundred cows are grOomed daily like blooded
horses, curried and washed. Here you see the
Mushroom in which the mixers must wash,
comb their hair and don their white uniforms
before going to milk Few farmers could 90
to this extent, certainly not at cents quart
for the milk. But if the walls and ceilings are
whitewashed once in a while, if the barn floor
is washed with soap and water OCCASIONALLY.
If the cows themselves are curried and washed
occasionally, and If the milk is cooled imrne-
diately after milking, and all utensils washed
IN boiling water, a very good clean milk will be
produced. Then the railroad must be watched.
The farmer is not the only sinner When the
department first got after the railroads il found
them carrying milk with about as much care
as they did coal Now they pack It in ice We
hear a great deal about certified milk nova
days, and have to pay 10 cents a quart for IT,
As a matter Of fact. certified milk is nothing
but clean milk, and every quart brought into
this city ought to be just as good the certi-
fed. But $4,000 quarts Of milk a day come
into New-YorI1 from as far away as Canada
We have Jurisdiction over % per cent of
the places where milk is raised. We can only
reach them by placing restrictions on the
dealers.
MANY physicians say to-day that they will
not be responsible for the infants under their
care unless they can be assured Of clean milk
for them. It IS not enough that it be free Of
germs. Sterilized milk is no longer recon-
mended by physicians. It has been found very
indigestible. If certified milk cannot be had
pasteurized milk is preferred. When milk is
sterilzed many healthful bacteria are killed
as unheaIthfuI ones