The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1911-07-26
WATER CAUSE
OF TYPHOID
Preliminary Report Of Dr.. Lnms.
den, Government Expert Tells
Cause Of Spring Cases
EVIDENCE POINTS
TO THE MILL pom e
Government Expert Points Out
That Most Important Work Be-
fore City Now Is Correction of
Unsanitary Privies

The preliminary report of DIR. l.. l..
Lumsden of the Public Health and
Marine Hospital service. of his inves-
tlgaton into the typhoid fever situa-
ton in North Yakima. made Jointly
with the state, county and city health
boards. was presented to the MAYOR
and city council Saturday afternoon.
II Is OF considerable length, and
while it takes up the matter in some
detall, it covers the question in a
more general way than ii will be
handled in the report to be gotten
out by DR.. Lumsden on his return TO
Washington within the next few DAYS.
Having concluded the work for which
he was invited to North Yakima, DR..
Lumsden will return to the national
capitol this afternoon and after com
pletinR his report, which will go into
the matter in considerable detail he
will continue his investigations along
the same line begun in Virginia some
time ago
While in North Yakima, DR.. Luns-
den has made many friends who have
given him numerous invitations to re J..
turn. Mayor Schott, after the presen-
tation OF the comprehensive report
Saturday, thanked DR.. Lumsden on
behalf or the city of North Yakima
for the work he had done and said
that when he returned he heped to
have all the suggestions made by the
/ government expert carried out.
In his report tho doctor reviewed
the investigation from the start. June
II. beginning with the mill pond of the
Cascade Lumber company and the
water supply of the Pacific Power q
Light company and stated that his
recommendations for a change of the
connections at the mill and for the
purification of the water supply were
beng carried out. eliminating the
proba BILE cause of the typhoid cpl
demic OF last spring
| In DR.. Lumsden's opinion the m ost
important single measure to be car
RED out to lesesn the usual high sum
mer rate of typhoid fever in North
Yakima was the correction OF the nm
sanitary privies. cess pools and septic
tanks in the city so that their con-
tents will not be accessible to flies and
other insects, and to prevent soil pol
luton with their contents. He de-
clared that with all the facts in hand
there appears to be no room for rea-
sonable doubt that the annual prev
alence OF typhoid fever in North Yak
ina and the county is the result
largely OF the insanitary local condi-
tons which are thoroughly amenable
| Tn, tan ut
ly done without great expense. -
! DIR. Bumsdcn's Report
ITO the Mayor and City Council,
North Yakima, Washington.
Gentlemen:
II have the honor to submit the
following preliminary report on the
typhoid fever situation in the City of
North Yakima:
II expect to prepare later on for
publication a complete report on the
results Of my Investigation OF sani-
tary conditions in Yakima county. NV
purpose in submitting this prelimin-
| airy report Immediately upon the com
pletion OF my work here is to point
out the conditions which appear to to
be the most salient in the causation
of typhoid fever in North Yakima and
to make recommendations I'm respect
to corrective measures which are OBJ
viously Indicated and which, | believe
should be carried out with the least
possible delay.
my investigation of this typhoid
fever situation in North Yakima was
begun on June II and has comprised
an archaeological study OF the cases
of typhoid fever occurring in the city
from May | to June 10. n review Of
the records at the city health office
TO ascertain the prevalence OF the dis
ease for the last several years. saui
! tary survey OF the watershed of the
Naches river to determine the degrees
of pollution of the cttys wattr supply.
meteorological examinations OF the
water supply inspections to deter
mine the likelihood of contamination
of the water after it enters the mains
FOR distribution TO the city. a sanitary
survey of the city and its enVirons,
especial attention being given to the
sewerage system, privies. prlvy vault.
cess pools, and to the irrigation
bitches as possible factors in the
spread OF typhoid infection. an In
spection of the public daries, mar
kets. groceries, restaurants, and of
other places where foods are sold or
prepared for sale
THE investigation has been con-
Quoted comparatively with represen-
tatives of the state Board Of Health.
with the City and County Health or
hcer and with the City Engineer.
Recommendations Carried Out
You will recall that from time TO
time during the course of the irveSti-
cation | have made verbally to the
City Council or to the City Board OF
Health specific endations for
the correction OF certain conditions
Among the recommendation so MADE
two being made to the City Council
within the first few days after the In
vestiEation was begun. were;
"G) To require the Cascade Lum-
Continued on peSe six)