The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-09-05
BUGS" ARE THERE.
Asylum Water Supply Is Running Over
With Germs.

DR.. S. E. Greenfield. state bacteriolo-
gist, has reported to Superintendent T.
c. Riddle. of the Topeka hospital for
the insane, that he has completed his
examination of the suspected typhoid
drinking water at the asylum, and finds
that in each cubic centimeter of water
(Which is only about a quarter of. a
liquid dram) there are between two and
three thousand unclassified and uniden-
titled germs.
examination of the water used in the
city of Topeka, that there are about as
many germs in Topeka water as in
asylum water.
None of these germs are branded as
typhoid germs; in fact DIR. Greenfield
says that they may be all entirely
harmless The conclusions of the ex-
animation are in substance as follows:
These tests do not justify me in say
ing that the water under examination
will produce disease. How
ever, | do not consider the city water
standard of purity, and can not from
these findings pronounce the water at
the state hospital above criticism
The natural assumption is, therefore,
that if the asylum drinking supply is
contaminated, the supply for the city
of Topeka is also contaminated. This
may not be true, of course, because
some of the 5000 germs in cubic CEN
timeter of asylum water may betyphoid
germs, while those in Topeka city wa
ter may be harmless. But the city
wells and the asylum wells are only
few hundred yards apart.
The examination will tend to cause
suspicion to rest more heavily than be-
fore on the ice supply at the institution,
which was cut direct from the Kansas
river.
| Another thing which indicates that
| the ice is responsible for the typhoid
| epidemic is that all but one of the cases
| so far have been among the attendants.
1t is supposed to be the attendants who
have been getting the benefit of the ice
supply, while the patients have had to
| get along without ice, except what BEN
| eft they might derive from the use of
ice for refrigerating purposes.
| The following is the report submitted
to superintendent Biddle by DR.. Green
! field:
1.-THE number of germs grown on agar
agar from one c. c. of water was
| high-between two and three thousand;
| number of colonies of germs which de-
lveloped in the presence of .05 per cent
carbolic acid was about 300 per c. C.
"A specimen of city water was used as
| a control. The number of germs per c. c..
! in the city water was fully as great as
| in your specimen, and the number of
germs which grew in the presence OF
| O5 per cent of carboIic acid was greater
than in specimen submitted.
"These tests do not qualify me in say
/ ing that the water under examination
will produce disease. The findings mere
lily show that there are a great many
| more organisms per cubic c. c., but all
of these may be non-pathogenic have
Inot been attempting to separate and in
any way identify the various germs
which are present. This is a very long
and complicated procedure, and would
require more time than l am at liberty
| to give to this part of the work.
aI have made enquiries in regard to
/ cases of typhoid in the city and find that
there are comparatively few cases for
/ this time of year, and some of the physi-
clans say that none of their cases come
| from drinking the city water. How
ever. I do not consider the city water
as a standard of purity, and cannot
from these findings pronounce the water
at the state hospital above criticism