The Washington times., 1905-08-06
Of FEVER
OBLIGES CAUTION
Citizens Should Try to
Avoid Disease.
BOIL WATER AND MILK
Health Officer Not Alarmed Because
167 Cases Have Been Reported
Since July 1.
LOCAL TYPHOID RECORD.

Five new cases of tvrnhold fever were
reported to the Health Office yesterday
making 167 cases since July / The
Health Office officials are not alarmed
but are urging the people to take every
known precaution against the disease.
The fever IS not confined TO any partic-
ular locality. It is scattered in almost
equal proportion in the northwest
northeast. southwest ana southeast. and
in the outlying districts. DR. Wood
ward. the health officer, was asked last
night for sum-up OF the fever situa-
tion, and made the following state
ment:
There is no special thing that know
of to account for the general prevalence
OF typhoid fever at this season of the
year
THE germ of typhoid is form of
plant life. and. like every form Of plant
life, the seasons vary.
Clear Water Danger.
Generally. when the water is low
and clear. and we'll water is low, there
is more or less danger of contracting the
fever. When the water is muddy it Is
| not necessarily dangerous, for a large
volume of water diIutes the typhoid ex-
ecreta which is now constantly arriving
and finds It's way into the water courses
| and the wells
And with low water the danger TO
| health from the typhoid germ Increases.
August may be called the typhoid
| fever month, as the statistics show the
! heaviest death rate from that disease,
| the average deaths from typhoid being
| twenty-nine.
Since the first of July, and including
the first five days of this month, 167 ty-
| phoid fever cases have been reported.
while for the same period last year our
| records show Us cases reported
Reports of Cases.
| 1T has only been a little over two
! years that the law has been IN force
requiring typhoid fever cases TO be re-
| ported to the health authorities.
| Here are the figures giving the num-
| Der Of deaths from typhoid fever in the
/ District for the month of July for the
| past ten years: 1894, So; 1895. y; 1896, 8;
| 1857, 10: 1898. q; 1899, g. 1900, &c; 1901, 16;
1902. 21; 1903. II 1901. 1G. The average
death rate for that period was L.
THE deaths from typhoid fever since
/ the first Of July. including today. number
| IS. Some of the cases which ended in
death were re"orted in June.
Last year Is deaths from typhoid oc-
! CURED in July.
Precautions Necessary.
'While The water f. low and clear in
the stream and low in the wells people
should use every precaution against con-
/ tracing the fever. They should boil their
drinking water and boil the milk. and
then be sure the receUtacles from which
they drink have been washed in boiling
water.
Unless your ice is made from distilled
water it would be safer TO cool your
/ drinking water in bottles. laid on the ice.
IN this warm weather one cannot be toe
/ careful.
This prevalence Of typhoid in the city
does not mean that Washington is un-
! healthy and a DANGEROUS place TO live.
'T,-"hoid fever is having its run in
nearly all the large cities where there
are no filtration plants. So our citizens
need not be unduly alarmed. When the
| filtration plant is running there will be
Il marked decrease in typhoid fever