The Washington times., 1907-02-10
TYPHOID'S SOURCE
IN DISTRICT HID
Health Officer Woodward
AcquitS Both Milk and
Water.
Shellflsh, Also, He ConSid-
erS to Be Comparatively
Harmless.
Many SO-Called Typhoid
Cases Not Such-Many
From Elsewhere.

DR. William G. Woodward, health Of
icer Of the District, discussing yester-
lay the typhoid fever problem that so
5orely taxed the resources of his de-
oartment last summer. made the start
ing statement, chat in his opinion n
very large number OF cases reported as
typhoid fever were not that disease at
All. but that some other ailment had
been diagnosed for typhoid.
He said that on the other hand, it IS
not at all improbable that a genuine
Ease Of typhoid is sometimes incor-
fectly diagnosed as a different malady.
DIR. Woodward Is of the opinion that
conditions In this section are in many
Instances not directly responsible for
the prevalence Of the disease as many
IF the cases reported have their origin
In other sections. In every instance
typhoid cases have ben carefully in
vestigated TO determine their origin. and
Il has been found that a surprising num-
Der Of such cases had their origin in a
section remote from the District.
Milk Is All Right.
In our examinations Of these cases
Of typhoid We have found" said Or.
Woodward, that the disease is not
charged this source OF infection as the
sole or even principal reason for the
spread of the disease. However, it is
beyond dispute that milk has caused the
disease in some Instances. This theory
does not hold good. whom Il is taken
into consideration that field inspection
OF dairies ana rigid enforcement of SAN
Itary laws at the source of the city's
milk supply have not reduced the nCm-
Der of cases of typhoid here nor in
ether large cities. Our milk supply
comes 10 us now under sanitary rules
and conditions far in advance Of what
1t did a few years ago."
Continuing his discussion o. the mat
ter DR.. Woodward says that the sugges-
ton so strongly advanced that the
well water Of the city is directly re-
sponsibIe for the origin and spread Of
the disease Is not plausible, as II has
been found that a vast majority Of the
cases reported ana treated were among
persons that never drink well water.
Doesn't Blame Oysters.
DR.. Woodward is OF opinion also that
the. large CONSUMPTION or oysters aud
claims is not productive Of typhoid fever
TO any great extent
lie says further that after careful in
vestiEation of the water supplied 10 the
city by the filtration plans it had been
shown that the water did not carry any
rerceptible amount of pollution or dis
case-bearing germs that would likely
cause typhoid fever. Since II has been
found sbat the water is nOL the source
Of TIC disease the Health Department
is without n substantial theory as to
the cause of the epidemic.
The records show that notwiJhstand-
ing the large increase IN population Of
the city. ;he Geath rate among white
children frors the disease is consider
ably less than what It was last year.
while the opposite IS true ot the col
ored children. There were thirteen more
deaths from this cause last ycls as
compared with the previous year.
Surgeon General Wyuan, of the
United States Public Health AMI Ma
rlne Hospital Service, Is preparing re-
port TO cover this subject fully, based
upon a repors male by tire eminent
specialists appointed for that purpose.
In all probability Ills report will be
made public next week.