Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1910-12-24
BLAME IT ON OYSTERS
State Board OF Health Physi.
clans Believe BivaIves
Caused Middies Typhoid
GIVES SEVERN BLACK EYE
Mayor Strange Eighteen Months Ago
Brought Matter OF Sewage Con-
taminatiOn Before Superin-
tendani OF Naval Academy

And now it appears the Severn
River oysters have been given a
black eye by the State Board of
Health doctors. Hereafter, presum-
ably, when oysters from the Severn
River are taken to Baltimore or else
where to be sold, the question will be
asked Where did they come from?"
Annapolis" will be the answer.
"Oh, no! no Severn River oysters
for me-! will say the buyer, they
cause typhoid" ETC., etc.
And thereby hangs a tale. Mayor
Strange, of this city, upon reading
the effusion in the Baltimore papers
this morning about the Severn River
oysters causing the Middles typhoid.
came to The Capital office and made
this statement:
About eighteen months ago, when
| first called on the superintendent of
the Naval Academy, | brought to his
notice the fact that the waters of
the Severn contiguous to the Naval
Academy were being polluted by the
sewerage that emptied into the river
from Bancroft Hall. told the
Superintendent that in time this
would effect our oyster industry and
injure the trade and tradespeopIe.
The Superintendent said he would
take the matter up with the Govern
meDt, but so far as know, nothing
has been done in the matter. | ad-
vised consuming plant. have no
doubt the Severn is being daily COLI
taminated with the sewerage from
Bancroft Hail." said the Mayor.
With the view of determining
whether oysters caught in the Severn
River, near the Naval Academy, are
in fit condition to eat, DR.. Mar
shall L. Price. secretary of the
State Board of Health, and DR.. w.
r. Stokes, State bacteriologist,
came to Annapolis yesterday and
after a consultation with surgeons
on duty at the Naval Academy, they
went out in the river in a small
boat, caught number of oysters
in different sections, and will make a
thorough test of them.
Oysters are regarded as carriers of
typhoid fever, and it is recalled
that when the fever broke out among
the Midshipmen the surgeons ordered
the lucious bivalve as we'll as other
raw foods stricken from the bill of
fare. The investigation now being
conducted by State medical officials
has no bearing upon the typhoid SIT
uation at the Naval Academy, but is
a precautionary measure to protect
the health of citizens. 1t has come
to the knowledge of the State Board
of Health that many oysters have
been caught in the Severn River and
subsequently sold. AS the sewerage
from the Naval Academy empties
into the river it is regarded as dan
gerous for such oysters to be served
as food.
Although there has been no norice-
able change in the twenty Midship-
men typhoid patients at the Naval
Hospital in the last few days, the
situation seems to be gradually i'm
proving. Surgeons look for the
crisis IN the illness of at least four
of the patients on Christmas Day.
Indications are so favorable that
they do not anticipate there will
be any relapses.
That the Navy Departments spec
ial board of sanitation is conducting
a thorough inquiry into conditions
at the Naval Academy, with the
view of uncovering the source of in
fection, if it was local one, is evil
denced by the statement made yester-
day that the board will not finish its
work for about ten days.