New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-09-08
AETENNAL TYPHOID

The traditional outbreak, perhaps might
almost say epidemic of "autumnal typhoid" IS
here again. 1t began a fortnight ago. and has
been rapidly increasing in various parts of
Manhattan and in all the other boroughs of
the city. Most of the cases. as usual. are light,
though not all; and. indeed. no case of that in
sidious and pernicious disease can be regarded
as trifing. AS usual, also, the disease exists
not in the slums or among the poorest and most
crowded tenement dwellers but rather in the
better class of homes Dozens of cases have
been reported in single block of what are
regarded as model tenements. And also as in
former years there are various theories and
much uncertainty concerning the source Of the
trouble.
Time was when these yearly outbreaks were
attributed to masma from the falling and de
caying leaves, and then, when people had
learned better than that 10 sewer gas which
had got into houses while they We're closed IN
summer. theory which also had to be aban-
doned baseleSs. \ later theory, which has
in many cases been sufficiently confirmed IS
that the disease is often really contracted in
country places, where the water supply is con-
taminated from ceSspOols or otherwise, and is
developed after the patients return to town. But
that does not explain all eases, if majority of
them for many occur among people who did
not go out of town. We note that DR.. BenseI
expresses the opinion that most of the cases
this year ut any rate originated here in the city
If that is SO, we must probably look for the
cause OF the trouble in the water supply. Gen
orally this city has particularly healthful
supply of water. But at the close of the sum
mer the reservoirs and the streams which feed
them are at their lowest ebb, and in that scanty
supply there is, of course, less dilution than at
other times of whatever noNious matter may
chance to get into the water. Moreover-and
we suspect that this is one of the most important
pOints-the danger of contamination of the
water is greatest by far in the month of Au-
gust. All the year there is some danger from
the popuous villages which exist in the Croton
region and largely drain into the lakes and
streams. But in the latter part of the summer
that whole region is thronged with transient
visitors many of whom live in camps on the
banks OF the streams and lakes from which.
of course. all the sewage runs directly into the
water while many others spend much Of their
time in fishing and boating upon the very
w"ter which a little later is drunk in this city.
In such circumstances it is not surprising that
at this time of year our water supply is much
less pure than usual
To what extent the perniciOuS activity of
flies. which are now most numerous. and the
ures is probably less assured of purity than at
other seasons. contribute to the disastrous re-
suit IS matter for speculation and inquiry But
the CHIEF needs for freeing us from this yearly
infection are doubtless the two upon which
we have repeatedly dwelt. one is to secure
better sanitation at all rural places of resort.
even to making cesspOo as little known and
as ineXcusablc Oh farm as on city lot; and
the other is to abdte the pollution of the city's
water supply and to make that supply so plen-
tiful that there will never be a season of low
water in the reservoirs. With these things done.
which Ghould be done anyway, even If there