The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-08-09
FOUND THE EVIL
DIR. Crumbine Discovers Cause
of WaVerly Epidemic.
Contaminated Water Supply
Caused Typhoid Fever.
WAS 20 TIMES NORMAL
Topeka Would Have $50 Cases
in Proportion.
Governor Stubs Pleased With
Work of Board.

oSNlCLdIN AIuIHDlue Oh the state
board of health has just returned from
Waverly. Kansas, where he has sue
ceeded in stamping out one of the
worst typhoid fever epidemics which
ever existed in the state of Kansas. He
was accompanied to Waverly by the
engineer of the board of health Pro-
| fessor William Hoad of the Universit--
| of Kansas.
For the last two years the typhoid
| fever epidemic III Waverly has attract
! ed the attention of physicians all oyer
the state and as result the little
town has been in a continual nervous
excitement waiting for the reV:edy to
! the evil and the probable outcome of
! the dreaded fever that was proving
! fatal in many cases.
Secretary Crumbine heard of the case
/ and taking the engineer of the board
with him he left for Waverly Saturday
! and spent the whole day examining the
! conditions of the town, its water sup
I ply and a clue to some source of the
| evil. The fever could not be traced
down to the fly which DR. Crumhfne
has been fighting with such fervor as
the cases occurred in the fall, winter
and spring as we'll as in the summer.
Finally the water supply of the lit
tie village was investigated and appar-
emily it was in excellent shape-au OF
the physicians before had pronounced
it harmless However, DIR. Crum blne
found after going down to the bottom
of the reservoir. a small Seepage OF
surface water dripping in through the
stone walls of the reservoir He saw
the danger of this Seepage at once ana
tracing down the drainage of the town
he found that everything in WaVerly
SlOped toward the water supply II was
unnecessary to test the water after
that discovery and recommendations
for d remedy were made at once.
The case is queer one and has
been attracting the attention of health
officers for some time. The water sys-
tenn of Waverly comes from assure
under Il huge rock down in the ground
number of feet. This spring shoots
out the clearest ard healthiest water
obtairaDle. DR.: Crumbine Compliments el,lcei
the citizens of the city on their great
supply and it has been the pride OF
Waverly for some time.
Finds the Source.
On investigation, however, DIR. Crum-
bine found that after a very little
freshest in the spring, fall. summer or
v inter this epidemic of typhoid came
over the people and the cases were
getting alarming. 1t was almost I'M
POSSIBLE to hold fairs and conventions
on account of the fear of the people
and WaverIy has been lodged for some
time The officials had failed to look
into the re. erVoir to find the read cause
and what DIR. Crumbine found was
enough to prove the cause of it all
The town of course does not have any
sewerage system and when the hlgh
water would come it would send all the
waste down the valley to the water
pant. Here it would gather in small
pond at times and then gradually sink
and seep TITO the wall. Walls had been |
built around the well and the bad wa
fer could not flow in over the top.
The number Of cases for the size of
the town would make the world sit
up and take notice If the proportion
had been shifted to Topeka or some
larger city The village only has a pop |
MA of 450 and there ALWAYS
average of six casScs during the year |
around. This is % times the norma
case rate and this fact alone received |
the immediate attention of the state |
ton OF cases We're switched to Topeka !
there would be $50 cases of typhoid in |
this city today and there are not over
1e cases in the Whole city at this time |
Waverly was just preparing for the |
celebration of ohio Day but it was !
feared for some time that the festivities
would have to be called off on account |
OF the bad condition of the city. Con- |
ditfons were becoming alarming and |
the citizens We're watching their friends |
and relatives fall Ey the Wayside IN
Ger the dreadful effects of the fever
which seemed to be of an especially bad |
variety.
Governor Is Pleased.
Governor Stubbs was enthusiastic over
the work of DR.. Crumb inc and Profess
sor Hoad tl:is morning.
ms Is d very IillpuI tailI uISCONei9'
said the governor-"and 1 am more than
1I;eased at the work of the board in
the matter. This epidemic has been
going on for some time and the people
were becoming frantic at the outcome"
The governor was also well satisfied
with the manner in which the board is
under the new scheme which
has given Professor Hoad of the uni
versity a position as engineer on the
board and he travels with DR.. Crumbin9
making the engineering suggestions
while the secretary attends to the san
itary department. For instance, in this
Waverly case, DR.. Crumbine found the
cause of the evil and saw the only
remedy. rofessor Hoad told the citi-
zens just how the well should be ce-
mented and protected with concrete
lllers both inside and out. This new
of sanitary and engineer
ing inspection has proved great sue
cess.