Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-30
VIEWS OF DIR. VAUGHAN
AscRIBEs SPREAD OF TYPHOID
TO CONTACT.
Had Formerly Believed That It Was
Almost Entirely Due to Contain
mated Drinking Water.

Inc spread Oh typnOiu I0Vef III tnlS CITY
has been unanimously attributed to the COLI
dition of the Potomac river water, which Is
used as the water supply of Washington.
The marine hospital service makes public
this week one of the most important papers
read during the meeting here in May of the
third annual conference of the state and
territorial health authorities, with the OFF,
Gals of the marine hospital service, headed
by Surgeon General Wyman. 1t was talk
by DR.. Victor c. Vaughan Of Michigan, dur
ing the discussion of the subject Of the
transmission of typhoid fever.
To the great surprise of his hearers DR..
Vaughan unhesitatingly took the view that
nearly two-thirds of the typhoid fever in
the army camps during the war with Spain
were due to infection by personal contact
Although urban conditions differ widely
II ON those in a military camp still Dr. wy
man regards the statements made as most
pertinent at this time in view of the preva-
lence Of typhoid fever here and elsewhere.
Observations at Army Camps.
DR.. Vaughan was one of the members of
the commission appointed by Secretary
Alger in 1898 to investigate the origin and
spread of typhoid fever in United States
military camps during the Spanish war.
Major Walter Reed, U. 8. A., and DR..
Shakespeare of Philadelphia, the other
members of the commission. are both DEAD
Major Reed having made himself famous
in discovering that mosquitoes conveyed Inc
yellow fever germs.
DR.. Vaughan said that until his investiga-
tons in the Spanish war he had held the
view that fully IS per cent of typhoid fever
was transmitted by drinking water, and as
a teacher he had SO instructed his Glasses
for years. He and the other members OF
the commission had gone to the military
camps convinced that the spread OF typhoid
fever was due to the water supply. 1t wae
hard for them to change their opinions, but
they were forced to do so by an array OF
facts that could not be disputed.
Dr. Vaughan told about the first steps
taken by the commission at camp Anger,
eight miles from Washington. This was to
examine the blood of the patients for plas-
media and to make what is known in the
medical world as the Vidal action. Ths
was to determine whether the cases were
malaria or typhoid. In only seven or eight
instances out of many hundreds examined
were the plasmodia of malaria found This
showed that the disease was typhoid The
commission went to the 1th Army Corps
camp at Jacksonville and the same diagno-
sis was obtained. One hundred and fifty
cases were selected and sent to Fort Myer.
Va, in each instance the Vidal reaction
being given and no plasmodia. The jack
sonville camp was supplied with city water,
the water being the same as in Jackson
Vile. There were 10000 soldiers in the
camp and about 10000 people in the city OF
Jacksonville. Both drank the same water.
There were seven or eight cases of typhoid
in Jacksonville and a large number in
camp. The commission visited Chicka-
manga, where the conditions were terrible.
1t was again found that the disease was
not malaria but typhoid. In all three
camps the water was good, with no typhoid
infectious. Camp Alger obtaining it's water
supply from driven or bored wells 100 to
$50 feet. deep.
Effect of Distinction.
DR.. Vaughan went on to say that it was
found that when camps were changed ty-
phoid would follow the command by COM
panies, regiments or brigades. He gave an
instance of Pennsylvania command which
frequently changed it's camp, but the ty
phoid followed among the soldiers. This
continued until there was thorough dis
Infection of blankets, tents, bedding and
personal clothing of the command, when
the fever diminished and disappeared. He
thought the ordinary fly a method of dis
semination in many cases. but the per-
centage was small Dust was also a fac
tor, being impregnated with typhoid germs.
There was doubt in DIR. Vaughan's
mind that typhoid was contagious in the
ordinary acceptation of the term and he
believed disinfection to be just as neces-
sary as 1t is after diphtheria, scarlet fever
or other contagious or infectious diseases.
One agent In spreading the disease in the
military camps was the sending of men on
hospital duty to the tents for their meals
without requiring them to wash their
hands.
DR.. Young, secretary of the state board
Of health of Maine, agreed with DR.. Vaug-
han, and he believed that the infection of
hands, bedding, towels and utensils plays
an important part in the spread of typhoid.
DR.. Harrington of Boston said that re-
cent observations in Germany lead to a be-
lief In the correctness Of the views of DR..
Vaughan. He believed that the dairy farm
was about as dangerous as the water sup
ply in carrying typhoid germs