Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-15

dksdG hdbtUc f6cI3 ln8l Wnlfe the bacterial
emciency Of the Washington plant IL all
that could be desired. the average number
OF bacteria In the efluent being only -
per cent as compared with 1900 in the raw
wafer. no apparent decrease in the number
OF typhoid fever cases has resulted during
the first year OF its practical operation. This
would seem to indicate that the Potomac
water since 1903 has not been as important
as heretofore assumed. and that by fncreas-
ed storage and sedimentation completed fn
1902 We already received much Of the ex-
pected decrease incident to water purifica
ton.
I'm the face of reasonable explanation the
fact still confronts US that in spite OF an
average reduction from SO germs to % IN
the filter beds there has been no lessening
: In the typhoid fever rate incident to Ultra
] ton. This would suggest the possibility at
least that seaSonabie and telluric infiu-
ences have been exceptionally favorable for
large crop Of typhoid during the past
year. and that the situation would have
been Infinitely worse had 1t not been for the
efficiency Of the filtration plant
The Causes Of Typhoid Fever.
1.-The causes Of typhoid fever in this city
are complex and varied. No one factor can
alone be held responsible for the undue
prevalence, and in the prevention of the
disease due attention must be paid to the
its spread. The writer believes that about
80 per cent of the cases are water-borne
(well river. spring and commercial waters,
and this, too in spite of the fact that he
was the first to point out the agency OF
| flies in the spread of the disease; about Is
per cent of all cases are brought to the
city from mountain resorts by returning
vacationists: milk produced in typhoid-rid-
den districts Is probably responsible for
II to 10 per cent Of the cases, and the re-
naainder. about 20 Per cent, may be spread
through the agency Of flies, personal con-
tact, the consumption of raw oysters and
in o. a-nO i.1lt
or the eating of Strawberries radishes cell
cry. lettuce or other vegetables which have
been contaminated by infected night soil.
Hence the Importance of careful washing
of all uncooked food Racial and social
conditions evidently play an important role
in the predispositfon Of the disease, and
we have again to chronicle the lamentabie
fact that as in my investigation in 1895.
SO during the past year the coiored popula-
ton contributed the largest percentage of
victims. the rate for the latter class being
eighty-three Fer 100000, as compared with
a rate of thirty five for the white pOpula-
ton. A rate of thirtyfve is about the
average rate of cities between 100000 and
30O,0OO inhabitants. and is considerably be
low the average rate OF Baltimore ST
Louis, Minneapolis. Denver. Indianapolis
and a number of eastern and western cities.
When We consider that our colored popu-
lation amounts to over 5000. and that q
large proportion live under environments
! which lower their vitality and render them
peculiarly susceptible to disease, we can
appreciate the Importance Of careful at
tention to a general cleaning up OF the
city and the removal of insanitary factors
wherever found.
Since 1880 335 public wells have been
abandoned because the water. after re-
peated analysis. was found to be dangerous
to health. DR.. Kinyoun. in 1895. demon
strated the presence of Intestinal bacteria
in twenty-eight out Of eighty-one samples
of well water and ten Of spring water sub
| mitted to him. A great many of the wells
are in dangerous proximity to sewers and
defective house drains. and the presence OF
intestinal bacilli and high percentages OF
chlorides and nitrates points positively to
pollution with the wastes Of human life.
The rivers pollution commission more than
twenty-five years ago advised the closing
of all the wells in London but three, which
were exceptionally placed.
View Of Experts.
Every expert is of-the opinion that the
bacterial efficiency of the Washington fill
tration plant has been rarely, il ever. ex-
ceeded elsewhere and yet the hope is ex-
pressed that the recommendation of the en-
gineers of the plant for the installation of
a coagulating process in periods OF great
lturbidty may be speedily acted upon.
In 1872 Berlin and Washington were
alike in primitive methods Of sanitation.
Without adequate distribution of the water
supply, the larger part Of their population
was dependent upon private and public
wells. Without sewerage systems. both
were alike supplied with makeshifts for the
disposal of human. excreta and waste wa
tiers. The unpayed streets were the COM
mon receptacle of garbage, ashes and house!
Sweepings, and along the cutters the sur
face and house drainage were conducted to
the neighbOring water courses. Since Ber-
Tin began it's system Of sanitary improve
ments completed in 1890 at a cost of 3d.
100000 marks for pure and ample water
supply and 42,5OO,000 marks for the con-
struction of sewers the typhoid fever death
rate has fallen from 143 per 100000 of its
inhabitants in 1872 to in 1894; and the
general death rate has fallen from 32-9 per
1000 In 1875 to 1874 per 1000 in 1904. while
the death rate from typhoid fever in WASH
fngton is still six times as great as that of
Berlin, yet the general death rate has been
reduced from 2S.OS in 1879 to 1920 in 1905,
which is encouraging. considering the mixed
character of the population.
In 1875 only 81 houses in Berlin were
connected with the sewers and the general
death rate was 32-9 per LOCO. In 1885 there
were 1856 houses with sewer connections
and the death rate was 24.4; the Washing
ton rate was 24.9 In 1895 the Berlin death
rate was 1913 and the Washington death
rate was 2O.3.
Milk Legislation and Sanitation.
"The importance of milk as an article
of diet for all classes, but especially in
fants. invalids and the sick and GONZALES
cent is generally conceded. 1t has also
been demonstrated that such hydra headed
diseases as scarlet fever, diphtheria and
cholera infantum have been disseminated
in the milk supply and that typhoid fever
epidemics have been thus caused and that
milk may be the vehicle of the germs of
tuberculosis and other infectious diseases
and morbific agents. For all these reasons
the production of clean. wholesome milk
is considered today as one Of tie most i'm
portant public health measures. and House
bill 216TO provides the means by which this
object may be accomplished. In April and
May. 1885, DIR A. Z. de Schweinitz of the
biochemic laboratory of the Department of
Agriculture examined thirty-one different
samples of milk taken at random from as
many dairy wagons in Washington. OF
these one showed $500 one about 1000 five
others between 10000 to 1900 six between
80. 900 and $1,000. and the remainder more
than $1,000 per ccm.: the average number
OF bacteria in the market milk was about