The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1910-10-19
TYPHOID CHECKED BUT
MANY STILL IN PERIL
Dr.. Hill, Epidemiologist, Who Inagura-
ted Fire Zone Sanitary Campaign,
in Bemidji Today.
FOUND CONDITIONS DANGEROUS
Backed By Militia He Purified Water,
Closed Wells, Segregated Patient.
and Named Health Officer.

l have purposely RETAINED from
granting an interview on the sanitary
conditions at Baudette and Spooner
until now because I wanted to
thoroughly understand the status of
affairs there" said DR.. H. w. Hill,
director of epidemiology of the state
board of health, who is in Bemidji
today on his way to St. Paul, after
having spent several days directing
sanitary campaign on the ruins
of the two fire swept towns.
while we have succeeded in
purifying the water supply and have
completed other sanitary measures,
assuring, I believe. againstthe further
spread from this time on, of typhoid
germs. the true extent to which these
two towns are to suffer from this
diseasewill not be known until three
or four weeks from the time of the
fire." said DR.. Hill.
cit usually takes three weeks
for the disease to manifest itself
on person who has become in
fected. When the flames swept
Baudette and Spooner from the
map there were 50 cases of ty-
phoid On record. In the rush for
safety it is likely many. persons
came out of the muddle with ty-
phoid in their system. How many
will be stricken with the fever re-
mains to be seen.
81 found that the water supply
was being furnished from polluted
waters Of the Rainy River and that
wells were reeking with germs and
that other conditions were extreme
]y unsanitary.
with the assistance of the militia
and right here I want to say that
great credit is due General Wood
and his national guardsman for they
made quick sanitation possible-we
started in to clean things up. With
a squad of militia we filled up or
otherwise put out Of commission, ten
wells and, established sanitary
closets: So
The portable hypochlorite plant,
shipped in from Minneapolis, was
attached to the inlet of the water
supply, thus assuring pure supply.
This method is not an experiment.
1t is in successful operation in Min
neapolis, East Grand Forks and
Brainerd and International Falls ISM
stalling one at the present time. 1t
means pure water.
The two health officers at Bau
dette and Spooner resigned and I
appointed DR.. G. D. Haggard of
Minneapolis as health officer for
both places and he is still in
charge and will so remain Indefinite
ly.
Fever patients were daily being
reported. We secured a large hall,
wired it for lights, put it in sanitary
shape and here we have establiS ned
headquarters for all typhoid patients.
We believe that by thus segregat-
ing them, the danger of an epidemic
is reduced to minimum.
Therefore, in view of all these
precautions together with the strict
measures which DR.. Haggard will
continue to employ feel that there
can hardly be any room for an ad-
ditional spread of the disease, which
Immediately following the fire, ex-
! listing under conditions which, had it
been permitted to 20 unchecked,
would have claimed its victims by
the hundreds. ~. s..:
II was informed that at least
few soldiers would remain on duty
for long time, possibly all winter,
which will insure proper protection.
/ The board of health has power, of
course, to force health measures
through, but backed by the militia
the same work can be done in half
the time.