The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-05-15

land, a distance Of about 1874 miles,
requires from two to four days to
| reach the Washington aqueduct. We
also know that typhoid germs retain
their vitality in ordinary water from
six to ten days, and could therefore
infect consumers of water in Wash
| ington. ~,
My suspicious thatfcstyphiod fever
germs may travel alksthe way from
Cumberland were confirmed as early
as the winter Of 1S89-1890, by studying
epidemic at eCum bertrand upon the
prevalence of the disease in Washing
| ton. a,e
= Other American Rivers. -,
What has been sAfif of Potomac
| river is equally applicable to the Ohio.
Mississippi, Merrimac, Connecticut.
| Missouri and @other American rivers,
because they are the sewers and at the
same time the source of water supply
for nearly all the cities located ON
their banks. These cities show, more
over, marked prevalence of typhoid
fever, thus confirming what has been
observed over and overagain that this
disease, as also cholera dysentery and
diarrhoeal diseases can be carried
from one town or city to another by
means Of inland waterways. Indeed
| the question is one of extreme interest
even to the residents along the great
lakes, the basin of which according to
the census statistics Especially the
area contiguous to Lakes Ontario,
Erie and Michigan), Is next to the
populated area of the United States;
we know that large cities like Buffalo,
Erie, Cleveland, Detroit. and Milwau-
kee discharge their sewage into the
| lakes, and we also know how Chicago
and Cleveland suffered from typhoid
fever visitations by : concentrating
| their own water supplies. 1t is also
| we'll known fact that many of the
publication of their water supplies in
| order to arrest the ever increasing
typhoid fever wave.
Economic Aspect of Pure Water.
Water pollution involves both eco
| nomic and public health problems
Those who are interested in the eco
nomic aspect will find an admirable &C
| count in Victor Hugo's Les Misera-
| bles" part book 2, who claims that
| nually into the sea. While it is true
| that the sewers of Paris discharge
| daily not less than 100000 cubic meters
| of sewage into the River Seine, which
age farms was lost to the agriculturist.
| it's actual value has been overstated by
/ this brilliant author.
According to the census Of 1900 there
| were $3.50 deaths from typhoid fever
| during the census year throughout the
mated mortality of 10 per cent it is
| within reason to assume yearly prev
alence of 1853, 100 cases of this disease.
If we calculate the average cost for
care, treatment and loss of work to
be $500 and the average value of a
| human life at $1,000 we have total
loss in the United States Of $2S3. 032 900
from one Of the so-called preventable
| diseases.
| DR.. Wilbur Of the bureau Of the CEN
| sus has given the death rate for a
| considerable time before and after the
date of change and also the average
annual death rate before and after
publication, and the percentage of re-
duction. From this we learn that the
! combined average annual death rate
| from typhoid fever in cities with q
contaminated supply was 69.4 and at
| ter the substitution OF pure supply
it fell to 1913 per 100000; a reduction
Of TOE.
1t may be urged that improved meth
| DDS Of medical treatment are respon-
sible for q considerable reduction In
| the death rates from typhoid fever
but when we see such striking
change Immediately after the insta1la-
| ton Of filtration plants as in the case
| of the American cities, We are forced
/ TO the conclusion that water ourifica-
/ ton plays the most important role.
| What has been said OF typhoid fever
is equally true of other water-bor
| diseases like cholera, dysentary
/ cholera morbus, diarrhoeal dis
eases and the transmission OF the
eggs of intestinal and other parasites
because the germs or eggs OF these
diseases. are present in the intestinal
1 tract and presumably also in sewage
contaminated water.
Average Length OF Human Life.
4 Professor Eiukeluburg OF Bonn