The Washington herald., 1907-06-11

Typhoid fever costs the people OF the
United states no less than S200VO0V
year in hard cash, TO say nothing OF
thousands Of human lives and untold SUI
faring This vast sum is the cost of negh-
eence. With proper precautions the indl-
yidual NAV almost surely escape Infection,
and bv cooperation in city, town, and
country. the nation could stamp it out
Formerly. when physicians did not know
lust how this disease was communicated
Il was considered inevitable. and every one
expected TO have it sooner or later. Many
persons actually believed that IL served a
good purpose I'm cleansing the system in
the event that the patient recovered. It
is now definitely known that it is caused
by taking the specific bacillus into the
system through the mouth, and that the
only cleansing that takes place IS done
not by the disease but by nature when
she rids the system OF an unclean infec-
ton.
Tvphoid fever comes from drinking pol
luted water or milk or eating polluted
food Mix laws in cities are rapidly re-
ducing the danger of Infection from that
source TO a minimum. and pure bottled
water is always procurable to persons who
can afford 10 buy it, But the vast majority
cannot afford to buy table water when
the free supply Is contaminated, and the
average citizen trusts TO luck rather than
take the trouble of providing against dis
aster He declines TO boil his drinking
water even when the presence Of an ep'~
demic in the city. and appeals from the
health office call his attention to the
necessity for doing 50.
Typhoid fever is not prominent in the
list of fatal diseases. The percentage Of
fatalities is usually small, but the disease
entails upon the patient a long period OF
critical illness requires careful nursing.
and is a heavy. expense to every family
il visits Unlike many infections, typhoid
fever frequently comes from the country
to the city. and carelessness in nursing
one case may pollute the water supply OF
the nearest town. which in turn may
pollute that Of the next town or city and
produce an epidemic OF huge proportions.
Even after physicians discovered the
q
municated. Il was generally believed that
water free from visible impurities was
safe, and that visibly foul water was
dangerous. Although the latter conclu-
sion is generally correct, the former IS
wholly erroneous. When q City's water
supply comes directly from a muddy
stream the probabilities are that II con-
tains the infection. as typhoid fever Is
existent at all times and streams are
open 10 pollution from many sources, but
perfectly clear water, having every ap-
pearance Of purity, may be more danger
Gus than muddy water The house filter
clarifies, but does not actually cleanse.
Bacteria may be eliminated from water
only by an elaborate system Of municipal
filtration or by thorough boiling An
illustration Of the truth Of this statement
was afforded recently when typhoid fever
became prevalent in a fashionable quarter
Of an American city. where bottled water
was used almost exclusively for drinking
Investigation showed that the water
came from a Spring" upon the property
of the dealer in the city. Bacteriologists
discovered that the water was full Of
typhoid baciln. and a further inyestiga-
ton showed that the spring" was leak
from a sewer. The water fltering through
several yards Of earth had been made
perfectly clear and apparently pure. with
out eliminating the poison. This is as
much as an ordinary house filter can be
expected to do.
Nearly all lakes, streams. and rivers
from which cities get their supply Of
drinking water contain the germs Of
typhoid fever drained into them from
watersheds where typhoid fever patients
are treated without thought Of the re-
suits Of carelessness 10 other persons. An
illustration OF the evil that results was
afforded when a serious epidemic in a
small Pennsylvania city was traced by
scientists to the contamination Of its
mountain water supply by the careless
handling Of one case Of fever at a resi-
dence near the lake from which the city
drew its water. Some time ago a New
York police reporter IN looking over the
water report noticed the technical term
"uitrates" Upon inquiry he learned that
"nitrates" meant possible typhoid fever
infection. He visited the CrOtOn water
shed and discovered that many hamlets
and towns were draining all sorts Of
filth into the New York water supply
AS a result Of the uproar created by
the publication Of his story some 1000
buildings were torn down Oy the order Of
the New York Board Of Health. and a
reduction in the number OF typhoid fever
cases in the city followed.
The epidemic at Ithaca, y. Y, which
resulted in many fatalities. and caused
Cornell University TO practically suspend
for a time. was another instance Of the
pollution Of the water supply causing
an epidemic % rage IN January. Chicago
has had trouble for many years with her
supply Of water from Lake Michigan.
Upon one occasion It was discovered
that the government scows under the
direction Of a United States army en-
gineer engaged in river and harbor work.
were dumping filth too near the intakes.
Litigation instituted by the city resulted
in the correction Of the evil. but while
the matter was being dragged through
the courts an epidemic of typhoid fever
ragged
At another time an epidemic caused an
investigation that resulted in the dis
covery that the city authorities 70 save
expense had been pumping through aban-
doned water tunnels too close to the
city The cost of the resultant epidemic
was naturally far in excess OF the saw
ing in pumping, 20 say nothing Of the
cost in human life. In Butler Pa. sew
eral years ago. the filter plant was closed
for ten DAYS for repairs. There were at
the time two cases Of typhoid fever near
the pumping station. In a short time
there were between 1.2o0 and 1850 cases
Of typhoid fever IN Butler.
For long time Il was contended that
water IN streams purified itself every few