The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1906-09-20
LOOK Fur THE CAUSE.

EDITORS JOURNAL:--Ine WrlCcF LAKES
exceptions to the statement from your
paper as to "The Cause of Typhoid
Fever" The cause is known-yery
well known. It might be stated in one
word, Ignorance. There's adistinct,
and, no doubt, traceable cause of every
case of typhoid fever in Marietta to-
day.
In large Northern city, some few
years ago, typhoid became epidemic.
Months before, farmer living twenty
miles out of the city, had two cases of
typhoid fever in his home. These peo-
pie were very careful. Everything from
the sick room was taken away from the
house and buried. Buried on hill
side, covered up. The rain washed
down little by little until tiny branch
was reached, and the course was clear
straight to the city pumping station,
twenty miles away on the river, where
the great city drew its supply. Down
the mains, and street after street, the
typhoid appeared.
In Southern city, last summer, ty-
phoid ran far above the average until
a leak in the filtering plant was discov-
cred.
In a camp of United States troops
typhoid ragged with sudden uutburst
until 20 per cent. of their number were
in the hospital. The Government made
one of the most startling discoveries:
Doctors caught few flies in the mess
tent on some lime still clinging to their
feet. They were made to walk across
prepared geletine, and typhoid fever
germs developed. The hospital where
typhoid fever patients were kept sent
all its refuse to pit, covering it with
lime. The flies, caught with the very
germs upon them, crawling over the
food in the mess tent, told the plain
story of how the soldiers got typhoid
fever-how it spread from one case.
Typhoid in Marietta comes from
germs taken into the system in some
way. Why let these go at large? One
very good way to destroy the germ is
to use common sense, and clean up.
Every vacant lot in Marietta is owned
by somebody. Cut the weeds. Every
back yard should be clean. Those who
don't take enough personal pride to do
it should be made to, for the protec-
tion of the entire town.
1t is fact that mo one knows where
typhoid fever comes FROM and still,
it is on the increase. Isn't it time some
body set about discovering where these
fever germs are harbored?
Clean up the back yards, and the
branches that run through pastures
where COWS drink. Use sanitary meas
ures that are certain in typhoid cases,
and you'll locate the germ.
The writer knows of three homes in
Marietta where everything from the
sick room of typhoid fever patients has
6OhC ihbO pIlNubC SSN CTS anu uIT6CGlY
into branches where COWS were pas
tured; of II man down with typhoid
who has been drinking milk from a cow
kept in this pasture.
Are the private sewers from Olinville,
the bathing water from near by pond j.,
and the washing from Buffers, empty
ing sanitarily, and are necessary
precautions being made to protect the
water supply of Marietta?
There are two more months OF ty-
phoid fever weather--the months in
which it thrives best. The entire city
would rise up as one body to catch a
man who had murdered man, woman
or child; yet, typhoid fever has and
will take more than one before Novem-
Der EXCEPTION.