New-York tribune., 1905-08-18
TOO MUCH TYPHOID FEVER.

To have 14S new cases of typhoid fever re-
ported in this city In single day is not an en-
cOuraging indication of local sanitary condi-
tions. Inasmuch as special hunt has been
made by the authorities for cases concerning
which the returns had been backward. these
figures probably do not represent exactly the
increase in a single day. Perhaps seventy-fve
or one hundred would be a safer estimate of the
actual increase. 1t is also worthy of notice that
the distribution of typhoid fever through the
year is exceedingly Irregular the disease being
somewhat more prevalent in summer and au-
tumn than at other times. Even after discounts
are made for these two reasons, however, the
statistics of the Health Board are not exactly
reassuring. The number of cases occurring
nuauy in the metropolis for the last three or
four years has ranged from 3.412 to 3,S11, and
1900 may be considered fair average. Now,
if fifty new cases developed on each of seventy
two days, or one hundred on each of thirty six
days. the full quota for the year would be met.
Just at present there is no reason to look for an
epidemic, but il looks If this going to be,
DR.. Darlington expresses it, "a bad year" So
long as the prevalence of the disease from week
TO week distinctly increases there is certainly
cause for uneasiness.
Typhoid germs invade the body only through
the mouth. DR.. Billings is doubtless correct in
attrbuting few of the Bath Beach cases to
llle CdIeIeSS SWallOWlHS OL water Dy persons
bathing near the mouth of a sewer 1t is
ceivable, too, that a fraction of the trouble has
resulted from infected milk though DR.. Darling
ton discredits the theory. Oysters are Just now
out of season, and hence cannot be held respon-
sible. Precedent and logic, therefore, compel
one TO suspect that the water supply is mainly
responsible for the recent outbreak. Moreover,
since different sections Of the city rely on diff
ferent sources 1t is not unlikely that there is
contamination at more than one point Already
The Tribune has suggested a possible explana-
ton of the mischief in the Bath Beach and Bay
Ridge districts of Brooklyn. Water from Sleeps
head Bay, on which they ordinarily depend. is
diverted at this season to Coney Island; and
pipes which are unused during the rest of the
year, and which may be sufficiently unsound to
admit sewage, conduct Ridgewood water TO the
afflicted region.
The trouble in the Borough OF Manhattan is
not at present SO serious as that at Bath Beach:
but nobody knows what Is yet to happen on
this side of the East River. If ANYTHING is
wrong with the Croton water much larger
population is thus exposed to danger than would
be affected by contamination elsewhere 1t
must be confessed, furthermore that If the
Croton supply were absolutely innocuous TO-
day the fact would be little short of miraculous
So shockingly defective the methods of dis
posing of the excreta of the inhabitants of the
Croton basin-many thousands In number-that
pollution OF the supply on which Manhattan de-
pends is almost inevitable. Without doubt If
has already begun, and though it may be barely
perceptible now 1t will surely increase The
sooner the Mayor gives to DR.. Darngton's plea
for filtration his careful consideration the better
1t will be for the health of the city.