New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-04-14
THE sorRcE OF THE TYPHOID.

Another essential and admonitory chapter
was added yesterday to The Tribune's exposi-
ton of the circumstances of the typhoid fever
outbreak in the Croton Valley. Hitherto it has
seemed impossible TO account for some of the
cases in Katonah. The milk supplies of that
place are good. and. as the Bulletin of the
State Board of Health says, "the village water
has been examined frequently and has always
''been found 10 be of unusual purity" Yet the
deadly outbreak is now traced TO that source
which seemed most above suspicion. The great
we'll from which water is pumped to the vii
Iage reservoir is not at all times adequate to
the demands made upon ii. and then It's supply
has TO be augmented with an inflow from an
adjacent brook That brook was thus drawn
from last winter. The brook flows through
meadows which have been freQuented by the
Italian labOrers on the Cross River Dam. And
typhoid is known 10 have prevailed among
those Italians before its appearance in IA
tOnah. Thus the chain Of circumstantial evil
dence is complete and convincing.
In a measure Katonah may hold this city
morally responsible for it's afllction, seeing
that 1t was New York which caused the inva-
sion of that village 10y a horde of unclean
and disease bearing aliens; though. of course
In so doing the city was imperilling its own
water supply and health even more than Ia
tOnah's. But the village authorities cannot be
held blameless, for they should have perceived
the dangerous state of affairs on the meadows
and should have avoided use Of the water OF
the brook when it so obviously in danger
of contamination. Their confidence in the
purity Of the we'll water should not have been
permitted to lull them into a false sense Of
security in respect 10 the brook. Apart from
the imminent peril from the Italian Iaborers, it
should have been borne in mind that that brook
Fnvr- mill all,
village or two. mills and houses and barns
innumerable along its banks. However clear
and sparkling TIE water Of such stream may
be. II is not prudent TO drink il save after care
full examination or effective publication
The Bulletin Of the State Board of Health
which we have already quoted gives additional
emphasis 20 the warning against the careless
use of brook or river water. Thus it reports
eighteen cases Of typhoid in the village Of
CatsEill, directly or indirectly due to infected
village water" the supply coming from Cats
kill Greek. In the village of Whitehall twenty.
nine cases occurred, and there were similar
outbreaks in the preceding three winters. all
attributable TO the contaminated water sunnlv
Ten or more cases at WilIsbOro, Essex County
were due 10 drinking the grossly nolIu+edn
water OF the river. More than twenty cosos oc-
Cured in two months among the Eve hundred
inhabitants OF Fierceheld, St Lawrence County
'0nd the cause was clearly traced 10 the infected
writers OF the Racquette River" From other
records and reports similar data might he indef
i initely adduced.
Surely the lesson should be learned some
! time this side OF dOOmsday. Men who respect
+ their palates and their health do not eat food
! witheut some reasonable assurance OF fits clean
Illness Why should they drink water which
has been flowing for miles in the open. INST
all manner Of places Of defilement? TO poison
: wells or streams in time OF war Is reckoned
an infamous thing, forbidden by the rules of
civilized belligerence. Why should men lightly
regard the wholesale poisoning Of streams in
4 time OF peace because Of either niggarlllncss
1 or filthy slorenliness? Populous communities
alo.-s tie IIudsoa baye been Scos-aad with "