Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1910-06-12

Of DOCTORS
Concerning Needs Of Sewer
System
PREVALENCE OF DISEASE
Ravages of Filth Diseases,
Especially of Typhoid
Fever, Which 1t Is Agreed
Will Grow Worse With
Increase of Population

The object of a sewer system is to
promote health and lessen the increas-
ing ravages of disease that have their
origin in filth. The judges of the rela-
tiOn of sanitation to health are Of
course the doctors. Several were seen
yesterday and and were asked about
the prevalence of such diseases and
especially typhoid fever, of which the
LCity in times past was free. 1t was
then thought the disease could not
thrive against the hostile pure sunlight.
But of late there has been an alarm
ing number Of cases.
Among the physicians seen was DR..
Win Wylie, who said that while re-
ports of the prevalence of typhoid were
no doubt exaggerated, there was an
urgent need of sewer facilities. The
conditions here were extremely bad
and for obvious reasons should be rem
edied
Dr. Grant Monical when approached
on the subject of typhoid. said he had
one case in the city which he has not
definitely diagnosed as typhoid as it
is not yet we'll developed. Nevertheless,
il has all the appearance of il at this
time He has three other cases of
pronounced typhoid in the vicinity Of
the city.
on being told the information was to
be used in connection with urging the
necessity Of a sewer system for Phoe-
nix. the doctor at once became both
enthusiastic and vigorous in his sup
port of the idea He said he only re-
gretted that he did rot know he was
to be asked in time to have at hand
some prepared data pertinent to the
subject. but off hand in a general way
he expressed his ideas as follows:
Typhoid is not only a disease but
a disgrace to the community which
permits its existence. for it is an ILL
ness that is entirely preventable. 1t
is disgrace to the egOtism of civili-
zation which knows its origin, side
steps the facts and permits it TO exist
and spread when it could be wiped out
easily by proper precautionary means.
1t is waterbOrne and a fly-borne
disease and by purifying the water
supply and eliminating the flies it can
be done away with. Some people think
their deep wells are sure safeguard.
The depth of the wells will not save
them. If there are typhoid germs in
the water, only boiling will kill them.
During sewer fight in the city of
indianapolis we had the same ques-
tion up and typhoid germs were found
at a depth of 300 feet under Il monu-
ment erected to the soldiers and
sailors.
The building of the Roosevelt res
ervOir and the saturation of the coun-
trs from the upper valley to the lower
end of it with the impurities certain
to follow from the Increase of popu-
lation that everybody expects in this
valley. unless something is done to
purify the water and carry away the
Impurities, means that Phoenix will
some day be up against an epidemic
with a very high rate of mortality.
Medical statistics shosv that in num-
erous cities where the sewer problem
has been neglected or turned down,
epidemics have followed in which so
per cent Of the people were infected
and 20 per cent of those infected died
or on a basis of 120 deaths in 1000
population. Denver mad an experience
of this kind once in which the percent
lage of fatalities was between IS and
be found by reference to the records.
"Dysentery is another disease of a
similar sort, due to Infection of the
water supply and 1t is very common
in Phoenix. l have had fatal cases
of it in my own practice. 1t is ter
rible disease and in times of war kills
more soldiers than the bullets of the
enemy. Phoenix. though not yet no.
torious afflicted with these diseases. is
liable to have them any time We need
sewer, a good one. and we need it
just as quickly as we can get it, |
don't see on what a man would hang
an argument against it,"
DR.. j. NJ. Swetnam said he had three
cases of typhoid in the city and two
others that have not been fully dag
nosed. but have present indications of
typhoid. The doctor then said that he
believed Phoenix was very fsvorably
situated by nature in its underground
flow of water through large sand beds
and the natural drainage has done
much to lessen these dangers. Never
heless. said the doctor, there are rea-
sons enough why we need a sewer.
whether it has anything to do with
typhoid in this city or not, and | am
in favor of a sewer and am going to
ote for it. The doctor was asked
| bout other diseases of an epidemic
haracter, scarlet fever for instance,
hough that is an illness of an entire