The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-04-25
CITY NEWS
DOCTORS DISCUSS
TYPHOID CAUSES
INTERESTING SYMPOSIUM ON
WATER SUPPLY PROBLEM.
Surprising Number Of Physicians op.
pose Bonds for Filtration Plant, Tho
Admitting that Water Is Most Pro-
ductive Agent in Spreading Typhoid
Fever.

Representative J. T. Mannix has some
sent out to physicians of Minneapolis.
relative to the city water supply and
means of its Improvement. The ones
follows:
First-Should the legislature authorize
the issuance Of 81, 900, 600 in bonds for FL
tration plant?
Second-To what extent is the city wa
ter system responsible for typhoid fevero
Third-To what causes do you attribute
typhoid fever?
The answers showed great variance
OF opinion. Twenty-three favored issu-
DR.. Edwin Phillips discusses the sinh.
]ect at some length, giving permission
for public use Of his discussion. He
attributes typhoid both to contaminated
water and to infectedAsoiL
Hope for Improved system.
A well-known Minneapolis physician
who makes speciality of typhoid fever
says: We have had much less ty-
pumping stations. Personally, if I could
feel assured there would be no marked
increase in typhoid during the next two
years, would say wait, with the hope
Of securing some simple, efficient, and
less expensive method Of publication.
do not favor the issuance of more than
one-half million bonds under any cir
cumstances at this time.'
Two or three replies question the wis
dom OF a bond issue, not because of the
expense, but because of the question as
to whether a, filtration plant would Grad
1cate, the germ evil. One of these let.
tiers reads in part as follows:
Doubts Efficacy of Filtration.
Filtration will remove the rough
dirt and filth and pollution of the river
water visible to the eye, but I very much
doubt the possibility of any filtration
plant removing the germs of any disease.
Ii filtration plant were installed, it
would not be long before it would be
necessary to install sterilizing furnace
and boiler in connection with the fltra-
ton plant to destroy the germs the filter
did not remove.'
One physician objects to the bond is
sue, saying: 81 for one would as soon
which induces poverty, and which, in
fatai.'' y
One extremist in the opposite direc-
we can only get good water.' Six let.
tiers are along this same line.
One man who objects to the bond
issue says: cit is all the property
holders can do to pay their present
opposing million dollar expenditure as
"too much graft.''
All Sorts of Opinions.
In response to the second question,
I as to what extent city water is respon.
sible for typhoid, there are numerous
differing answers. A dozen vary in es-
Inmates from 20 per cent to '99 out of
every cry 100 -cases;n One .eaa answer says:
river water for both culinary purposes
and as drinking water. We have not
had typhoid fever. Many who do not
use river water have typhoid. This is
some evidence at least against the
theory that drinking water is the sole
cause Of typhoid. !"
Another physician writes: HI know
of some people who. have used the city
water as they found it., and have done
~ I refer to is in a position to drink
. champagne for water, and has tried
, other waters to finally drop back to ths
2 city water as the most wholesome.
, would add. if the source of the water
supply is bad, fltering will not make
the people use it for general purposes;
and for that reason I am opposed tt
the measure. -
Another writer says: GA large per
y centage of typhoid comes from food
stuffs, but in our own city we can trace
n it most often to the water supply
: "Sixteen years experience in thi!
city, says another, "forces me to be
Z lieve that a, great many cases come from
e impure well water
> Water Spreads Infection.
. In answering the third question, near
d ~ every writer agrees that water is tn
i main cause of typhoid IS spreading. On
writer says the trouble lies in the neg
lect of sanitary methods around resi-
g dences. A number of communication
e speak of the dangers of well water i
= cities where the ground is contaminated
Several letters speak of typhoid bein
not only in water, but in milk and ger
= eral foods. One writer speaks es
lpecially of the fact that typhoid germ
may be in the air, or be carried abou
by means of insects.