Perth Amboy evening news., 1907-10-08
New York Bay Pollution COmmiss.
ion Says Typhoid Is Spread
By The She'll Fish.
MUCH SEWAGE IN WATER
The "Flattenins" Process Is Par
tlcuIarIy Condemned, Oysters
Sent to Laboratory.

NEW YORK. Oct. S:-Approxi-
mately 1000, 900 bushels of oysters
and clans are gathered annually in
New York bay and adjacent waters
where sewage estimated at 1900
100000 GALLONS a day is dumped, ac-
cording to figures prepared, after
careful investigation, by the New
York Bay Pollution Commission and
the Pollution Committee of the Mer.
chants Association.
Most of these oysters and CLAIMS
find their way into the New York
market. According to the outline
map prepared by the Pollution Com
mission, 20,0 900 bushels of oysters
are taken annually from Newark bay,
into which it is estimated that 450,-
00O,0 gallons of sewage is dis
charged daily
The danger Of the spread of dis
ease by the shellfsh from the pol
luted waters is just now occupying
the attention of members of the Pol
luton Commission and the Mer-
chants Association. Members who
have studied the situation say that
the practice of 'cultivating or fiat
tening" oysters is carried on in the
Raritan and Elizabeth rivers. which
are nothing more nor less than open
sewers for the towns bordering on
| their banks, and are used as drink
ing grounds for the oysters. Oy-
sters are taken from the salt water
and put in shallow water at the
mouth of some fresh-water stream.
there to be fattened'
1t was shown that for the sake of a
check six specimens of oysters from
Bath Beach. Gravesend Bay, and six
from off Elm Tree Beacon We're sent to
the Bender Hygienic Laboratory at Al
| bany. The oysters We're scrubbed with
sterile salt solution and a sterile brush
after which the shells We're opened with
a sterile knife and the oyster and juice
put in a sterile dish. The results OF
these tests for the incipient germs OF
| typhoid were positive in two of the siX
| from Grayesend Bay, and positive ir
/ five of the six from off Elm Tree Bea
con.
Edward Hatch. Jr.. chairman of the
Pollution Committee of the Merchants
Association, said yesterday:
There is only one inference to be
| drawn from this custom of harvesting
| oysters and CLAIMS from sewage burden
| ed waters. 1t does not take a scientist
| or physician to draw conclusions as to
the result of eating poisoned shellfsh
| With millions of gallons of sewage be-
| ing poured daily into the harbor OF
New York and the adjacent waters
waters where oysters are grown and
| fattened it must be evident that no
healthy shellfish can be cultivated and
| the consequent menace to the health of
the neighboring communities which are
supplied from these sources cannot be
questioned.
The use of oysters and clans from
| these beds should be prohibited State
and federal regulation would not be
sufficient. Even oysters which come
! from other localities should be subject
ed to inspection by qualified officials
as is done with the milk supply. Every
one should insist upon knowing where
the oysters and CLANS which they eat
are grown. the diseases contracted
through these agencies are generally
fatal"
DR.. Daniel Lewis, president of the
Metropolitan Sewage Commission, said:
Il would no more think of eating an
oyster or clam taken from these waters
than I would so much deadly poison.
When president of the New York Bay
Pollution Commission l made an extern
sive examination of the subject, the re-
suits of which are embodied in the first
report of that commission. OF the
thousands of oysters and clans anal
yZed there was not one that did not
show traces of sewage. The matter is
a crying outrage. Vet nothing has been
done by the authorities of New York
and New Jersey.
1.-The fall of the year always shows a
marked increase in the number of ty-
phoid fever cases. The record for the
week ended September 21 shows that
1S1 cases We're reported. with a deatf
| list of -. In midsummer. when very
/ few oysters are eaten, the death rate
| from typhoid fever sinks almost to the
! zero mark.
| The time is rapidly approaching
when New York will have to devise
some method of disposing of the sew
age other than discharging 1t into the
bay, for if continued for many years
longer the health of the whole COM
munity would be seriously threatened. -