The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1907-08-09
TALLAHASSEE
IS HEALTHFUL
No EpidSmIc Of typhoid Fever Has
Occurred this Season.

haustive report made by DR.. Hiram
Byrd, First Assistant to the State
Health Officer, DR.. J. Y. Porter, cover
ing the several cases of fever which
have occurred this summer in Talla-
hassee and vicinity. DR.. Byrd spent
several days in this city in June, and
made thorough investigation of the
several cases OF fever reported, as well
as of the local physical conditions OBJ
tainable, and his report Is very full and
satisfactory. Il is too long for pub
lication in its entirety, but the follow
ing abstract will be found both inter-
esting and instructive:
DR.. Byrd reviews the history of four
teen cases of fever which had occurred
up to the time Of his Investigation, and
notes that four did not live at or near
Tallahassee; two were probably con-
tracted at Pinhook (abOut twenty miles
away from the city,; one was possibly
contracted in Marlborough county; one
possibly at Ocklocknee mime miles from
Tallahassee, and one possibly in
Alachua county. With these possibiti-
ties and probabilities excluded, there
remained FIVE cases presumably origi-
mating in the city. And even of these
he says: In the remaining cases, il il
to be noted also that the laboratory
test was not resorted to at ALL" thus
leaving the diagnoses OF these as ty-
phOid cases in some degree of doubt
And he adds: "Fr0m this record it is
evident that the rumors have greatly
exaggerated the situation
Following a most interesting deser-
tatiOn upon possible sources Of infection
of this disease, DR.. Byrd considers Tai
lahassee's water supply and sewerage
system, and shows that the former con-
tains, in 100, 900 parts, only IL parts of
solid matter; and that the analysis Of
the sewerage efiluent compares foyOra-
bly, with that Of the water from the
MIGRANTS, and that in neither are there
indications Of intesti0nal bacteria or sew
erRge contamination
Then follows reference to and ex-
tracts from a former report made by
DIR. Byrd three yeas ago, as follows:
1.-The city rents stalls to individuals
who carry on the business Of vending
meats. This building Is only short
distance from a livery stable, and the
number of flies that it harbors Is incOn-
ceivable. There is no effort made to
lessen the number or to keep them out.
| They swarm over the meats, disputing
the right Of possession with the vendors
to night" And he remarks in the re-
port we are considering that 1.-THE mar
ket is in the same place today; so Is the
livery stable; so are the flies | think
this could be remedied bV closing all the
openings 70 the market house except
one or two for ingress and egress. The
unused doors and windows could be
closed with wire screens Of fourteen TO
sixteen meshes to the inch. The one or
two doors used for passing in and out
could also be rendered prac tically proof
against flies by constructing on the in
side Of the door a wire screen vestibule
and making the screen doors opening to
the outside rather than TO the inside
IL has been found thoroughly practical
bic TO keep out both flies and mosqui.
toes by means of the vestibule and two
or three screens, and doors all opening
10 the outside. This was the means
used in the yellow fever hospital at
Pensacola, and was thoroughly effect
i've"
The final summing.up paragraph of
Dr. Byrd's invaluable report follows:
From the foregoing observations il
will be seen that the source of infec-
ton in any individual case of typhoid
| has not been definitely located. From
bacterial analyses and from the attend
| ant circumstances il is believed that
| the water is innocent of spreading the
| infection. From the fact that no two
Of the cases, so far as ! was able TO
learn, used milk from the same source,
the milk is likewise thought to be ex-
onerated. The several cases of typhoid
fever reported, living in different parts
OF town and out OF town, moving in
| different circles and not coming in con-
tact with one another. either directly
or indirectly. would exclude contact
with infection. The writer, consider
ing the population of Tallahassee, both
constant and transient, and considering
\ the number Of cases being no greater
than IL Is, and covering a period Of sew
eral months, and excluding water and
milk and contact infection, and remem.
SerinR the other possible sources Of i'm
! lection that are constantly menacing
us under the most favorable environ
ments, and knowing that typhoid fever
| Is prevailing all over the country TO
considerable extent, believes that Tai
lahassee has had a relatively small
number of cases. and that few such
cases will necessarily occur from time
TO time, the result Of accident that
could neither be foreseen nor fore
stalled"