Evening journal., 1906-09-20
SAND FILTRATION
WASHINGTON
After Years Trial Of System
Typhoid Fever is on
Increase
ASK GOVERNMENT
TO INVESTIGATE

or considerable interest TO the peopls
Of wilmington is the situation now fac
Ing the city Of Washington, ID. C.
That city was pointed to with much
eclat by the advocates OF slow sand nj
traton as being one Of the cities OF the
country whore the best method had nat
urally been employed and where a mann
moth slow sand nltratlon plant had been
built at great cost.
The Board OF water Commissioners in
this city, after an extended investigation
of the various filtration plants Of various
styles throughout the country that in the
capital city OF the nation Congress would
have nothing but the best and the same
method Of altering the water supply OF
wilmington was adopted as that which
prevails In Washington
Tho reports from that city after years
trial are anything but encouraging for
the slow sand filtration method
] Before the filtration plant was estab-
lishcd. Health officer Woodward Of
Washington declared that he was positive
typhoid was caused almost entirely by
impure drinking winter and that sand nj
tration would be the means OF reducing
the number of cases.
After one years trial Of the slow sand
filters built az the cost Of nearly three
million dollars and during which time
an the water used in Washington passed
through these germ proof filter beds there
has been an increase In typhoid fever
ine last weekly report OF the Health
Department Of that city shows 500 cases
of which 80 are new wsthin the week
There have been 76S cases Of typhoid in
Washington since the plant was placed
In operation as compared with record
Of 73l before the filtration system was
inauguratod. and so astounding is the
situation that the health authorities OF
the District of Columbia have asked the
Public oHalth Service Of the Govern
{ ment TO take the matter up and place tho
blame
+ The investigation IS being conducted by
Surgeon General Wyman. Of the Marine
{ Hospital Corps and in "a preliminary re.
II port issued yesterday he says that ty
phoid fever germs have been found In th'
O. filtered water and that evidently the sans
e lltraticn system OF Washington does no
x remove them.
Health officer Woodward declares hi.
whole health bureau is at sea regardins
r the origin Of the typhoid cases unless 1t
be the filtered water He said;
If filtered water had reduced the num-
, ber Of typhoid cases so per cent. or even
25 per cent we could easily unders' and
Z that the remaining cases were due to
other causes than impure water. but tho
number Of cases has incrcased this year
over the number last year. and the dis
ease has ragged IN exactly the same Sec
tions OF the city and under apparently
the same conditions as a year ago"
II has been discovered that in the Sec
tions Of the city where the sanitary con-
dilions gre the worst where there Is 1T
tie, II any, sanitary plumbing. and whore
Nth and bad drainage would seem tn al
ford fruitful breeding grounds for germ,
and microbes Of every kind there has beer
little or no disease.
In other sections OF the city with tn
Z best sanitary conditions. the disease ha
7 ragged vita a violence that has battle
] explanation
Efforts were made to place the origi
{ Of the trouble on the milk but this wa
e proved futile as the dealer whose mill
o was supposed TO have caused n nartlcula
e case served hundred others, not one 2
y whom had been effected in the slightes
degree.
u The report OF the Public Health Servio
on the subject viii be awaited with con
siderable interest by every community
which has adopted or is about TO adopt
filtration system
:, eHalth authorities Of the District o
= Columbia declared that either tho SLOW
7. sand filtration does no. remove the germ
Ia from the water or that the entire medi
cal profession has been in error and th'
~ water before filtration was established
m had really nothing TO do with causing the
disease.