Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-11

provements in sanitations Of dwellings, bet
ter medical care, ETC.
During the present year, however there
has been no considerable reduction as COM
pared with the past two years.
The conclusion Is that the continued high
typhoid mortality In the District is due to
a number of causes, some of which are
complex. Among these may be mentioned
the following:
A relatively large proportion of imported
cases contracted during the customary sum-
mer visits Of a large number of all classes
of inhabitants of the District.
Occasional infection due to public wells.
especially shallow wells subject to frequent
surface contamination.
Infection through the medium Of the milk
supply, which. though subject to careful
inspection, is, under the custom of ham
ding now prevailing in Washington, a con-
tinued source of infection.
Infection through the eating of unsteril-
This cause undoubtedly plays a larger
than has been previously accepted.
Infectio nthrough the eating Of unsteril-
lied vegetables, fruit and berries.
Sources Of Injection.
A host of other means of infection of a
complex nature by which germs are trans
mitted from the intestines OF one victim
to those of another through routes which
are SO many and diversified as to defy de-
lection.
Although there Is strong presumptive
evidence that the filtration plant has all
ready exerted an influence In preventing a
greater prevalence OF typhoid fever during
its operation this year, and that, as was the
case with the filter plant at Lawrence
Mass" he says. 1T will show in future
years more marked reduction in the
typhoid fever rate of the District Of Column
bia, any hope for a permanent additional
reduction Of typhoid fever in the District
must be looked for In -fuEther improve
ments In house sanitation. abolition Of
wells and privies, more effective oversight
and control Of the milk supply, more Wig
orous enforcement oil disinfection during
typhoid fever Illness and a reduction Of
the more varied and complex causes Of in
lection inherent In the daily lives of the
people. especially the lower and more ig-
norant classes"
Prof. sedgwick's View.
Prof. Sedgwick. in his comment upon the
report OF Mr.. Horton, states that he be-
lieves the large amount Of typhoid fever In
the District OF Columbia comes from causes
other than the water supply
THE causes of the excess of typhoid fe-
yer still remaining in the District of Co
lumbia," he says, "are. therefore In INV
opinion, not to be sought in any imper-
lection of the filter, but rather in those
residual factors Of this disease to which Mr.
Horton has sufficiently referred. Boards OF
health ought to be given money enough ia
enable them to devote much more atten-
ton than they now give to these residual
factors, and when they are able to dc
| this-but not before-we may expect to
reduce typhoid fever in the cities of the
United States to some such level as 1t has
reached in the principal cities of the Ger
man empire. Until that time comes our
cities, even when supplied with pure water
will probably continue to suffer from dis
gracefully high death rate from typhoid
| feyer-a disease characteristic OF a defec-
tive civilization. Great sums are now every
where spent for improved water supplies
| and sewerage. and similar sums are needed
for the larger work required today oil
boards Of health"