The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-09-01
AT ASYLUM
Typhoid Epidemic Develops at
State Institution.
Ice Supply Thought to Be Re-
spOnsibIe for Sickness.

There is an epidemic of typhoid
fever at the Topeka state hospital for
the insane. According to the state
ment of Supt. Biddle, made today, five
employees and one inmate are sick,
The employees names are Miss Stone
Miss Smith, Miss Hughes, Miss Hollar
and Mr.. Huffstutler
| There have been no new cases for
three days." said DR.. Biddle, land we
think that we have the trouble under
CONTROL
1t is believed that the ice supply of
the institution is responsible for the
epidemic. The ice is cut from the
Kansas river, and may have been
contaminated by the asylum sewer
Supt. Biddle has ordered manufac-
tured Ice and 1t is being used in place
of the natural ice supply on hand.
Last Wednesday the state board of
control instructed the superintendent
! of the Osawatomie asylum to send to
the Topeka asylum at once a car load
of ice, which is manufactured at that
| Institution.
troll. said today in speaking of the cpl
demic: "I do not think the epidemic
| is serious. DR.. Biddle informs US
that the cases are mostly of a mild
nature. We have had no trouble in
other institutions, and we do not know
the cause here in Topeka, unless it is
the ice. The use of the river ice has
4 been discontinued, and we are trying
to get ice from Osawatomie. We may
| not be able to get a whole carload
but we can probably get some What
| is needed at the Topeka asylum is an
| ice plant, so that they can be inde-
pendent of the river ice for their sup
ply
According to the statements of some
of the attendants at the hospital, the
conditions there are much worse than
are admitted by either Superintendent
Biddle or the board of control. One of
the attendants in conversation with a
State Journal reporter today said:
| Il am very much worried by the ex-
| lstlng conditions and fear that the hos
p1tal is in for bad run of typhoid.
am seriously considering giving up my
position there, and going home. The
attendants are leaving every day, and
don't know how many are now con
fined to their beds I know that three
We're taken sick Thursday and four the
day before
1t is claimed that a Miss Sims. a
cousin of Ed DeMoss, who used to be
in the undertaking business in Topeka,
was taken sick a few days ago, and was
! taken to her home in Highland Park.
| Miss Sims is not in the list given out
by DR.. Biddle.
DR.. Biddle said today in speaking of
conditions: I'VE have sent a sample of
| the water from our wells here to the
state board of health for chemical and
meteorological examination. We have
not sent any samples of the ice. but
have discontinued using the river ice en-
tirely. 1 suspect that the ice may be
the cause of the trouble, though one OF
our cases we know did not have any
ice. This epidemic has been coming on
for about three weeks. One of the pat
tents is now convalescing. We have had
no very bad cases, but they are very
well defined as typhoid. We have not
yet received any ice from Osawatomfe
and are buying manufactured ice here
in town."
1t is understood that the asylum had
a great deal of trouble in getting any
manufactured ice at all in Topeka, ow-
ing to the fact that the ice plants neeC
their whole supply for the town trade.