The Washington times., 1906-09-23
Denies River IS Cause of
All Typhoid Fever
Cases.
PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS
Thinks Many Have Contracted Dis
ease While Away on Their
Vacations.

t4iAh 4AlIe Was recently made by Health
Ortcer ". c. Woodward. and its ruth
Is apparently borne out by a reference TO
the records Of the Health Department,
which shows that but thirty-six new
cases of the disease were reported dur
ing the week ending yesterday. as COM
pared with forty-hve cases during the
previous week. and hfty-one cases dur
ing the week ending September p. 1906.
While the total Of cases reported since
January ] of this year still leads the
record for the corresponding period OF
last year, sos being the total so far, as
compared with 762 on September D. I905
vet IL is shown that the weekly records
for this August and the last three OF
the present month have been generally
lower than during the like weeks OF
1870. This has been generally the case
as 10 the daily record during the three
weeks OF the present month.
Total Cases Under Treatment.
The total number Of cases under treat
ment recorded VI 10 noon yesterday was
2s0. as compared with 257 on September
2. l$5 Thirty-fNur patients have re-
covered since last Monday, and two
deaths have been reported. For the cor
responding six days OF last year thirty
five recovcTies were reported and six
deaths.
Since typhoid fever became prevalent
this year and its virulence promised for
time 10 break the records Of several
seasons past. many theories as to the
supposed causes and sources OF the dis
ease have been advanced. Potomac wa
Ter, as In previous years. has come in
for It's usual share of abuse, but Just
IL this time Washington woman. who
has watched the typhoid situation with
Keen interest. gives this theory as be-
ing the source Of many cases OF the
TeVer, II amounts 10 a warm defense Of
the river from which the Capital obtains
most Of its water supply. This is what
she says:
Woman Gives a Theory.
To the Editor of the Times:
In view of the widespread discussion
and the many theories advanced as to
the prevalence OF typhoid in Washing
ton during the late summer and early
fail months, II is strange that the sug-
gestio7 has never been made that the
physicians or health officers make care
iul inquiry In every case reported to
md out whether or not the sufferer has
been out of Washington, or has drank
from a-sy strange wells. pumps. or SUR
face springs, within the period required
for the incubation and DEVELOPMENT of
the typhoid germ. II would seem that
IN this way the approximate cause might
be determined in almost every case. At
least the question might be- settled as
10 whether Potomac water, here in
Washington. was the cause.
1T is the writer's opinion that. in
nine-tenths of the cases. il will be
found that the victim has been out OF
Washington. for a longer or shorter
period. lust prior 10 the attack. OF at
least that he or she has taken ex-
cursions into the surrounding country
and has drank water from some stran ze
well. pump, or surface spring
From Personal Observation.
MY own experience and observation
prompts this belief. 7 have not been
out of this city for a day this summer
and my health has been uniformly ex-
cellent, with one exception. Just prior
10 this exception, while on an auto ride.
we stopped far out on a suburban road
20 light lamps. Seeing a pump near. /
drank freely of the water. A few
evenings after we rode out In Mary
land on the cars. and while waiting at
the terminal 10 start home, drank from
The pump there, just where the cars
turn. few days after these two drinks
from strange wells. 1 was taken with
what l thought was a severe bilious
spell. tho first I had had for a long
time. My symptoms at that time were
Identical. as / have since learned. with
those of the beginning of typhoid. But
for prompt measure taken 1 believe l
might have fallen a victim 90 the dread
disease. Thanks TO the remedies. how
ever. and a good. strong constitution. I
was, within a week, I'm my usual ex-
Cellent health. 1 knew Of nothing
had eaten that could have made me IN
at that time. and attributed. and stiiI
attribute IL. 10 the water Of either one,
or both, OF those strange wells of which
] drank / know II was not due to P0-
tomac water for It has been nv Gus
tom, throughout The summer. every day
about an hour after meals, 10 drink sew
eral glasses of virgin Potomac water.
fresh from the spigot tafter letting II
run a few moments), without ice or
anything in it-although we keep IN our
cooler Potomac boiled water. as sug-
gested by our Commissioners. with ice
in IL.
Asks Close Investigation.
1T seems to me. in view of the slam
ders written and spoken about our beau
tifui city being a hotbed of typhoid. II
would be well for the health authorities
10 investigate tho movements, for sev-.
eral weeks prior To their attack, of
each and every victim of the disease.
# they have not been out of the city
for any length of time, inquire if they
have not made excursions into the coun-
Try around and drank water from
strange wells and surface springs. It
would be well to analyze the water OF
the pumps on the public roads leading
out of the city.
Several eases Of typhoid. of which
know personally. were most certainly
rot contracted IN this city. In one
instance, very recent the gentleman
had just returned from a month VaCa-
tion spent in Virginia. In another In
stance two victims were brought home
with il from a river resort, and an
other from West Virginia.
so md ont where the victims have
been. from what strange wells they
have drank. and whether they did not
hiring the fever here instead of con-
tracing IL here, before Condemning our
city and our Potomac water.
"A STAY-AT-HOME.