The log cabin Democrat., 1911-07-29
TYPHOID EPIDEMIC
 IS NOT ALARMING
OPINION OF DIR. FROST
U. $. SURGEON DECLARES CON- OPTIONS IN LITTLE ROCK
 NOT UNUSUALLY BAD.

Little Rock, July 29-That there is no need for alarm as to typhoid fever conditions in Little Rock, that the number of cases in this city is steadily on the decline, and that the chances of visitor contracting the disease in Little Rock are hardly as great as in the average country town are asser- tons made by Dr. w. H. Frost, passed assistant surgeon of public health and marine hospital service, yesterday.
 Dr. Frost's statement was mada in response to request from George R. Drown, secretary of the Board of Trade. MT. Brown stated that re- ports had been sent out and published Tn newspapers as far east as New York stating that Little Rock was suffering from an alarming epidemic of typhoid, and that conditions were so bad that the United States govern ment had been obliged to send an ax- pert to take charge of the situation.
 MT. Brown informed Dr. Frost that 5,000 invitations had been sent out to country merchants to come to Little Rock to make their fall purchases, that 1t was desired not to expose these men to danger from typhoid if condi- tons were as bad as had been repre- sented. He therefore asked Dr. Frost for frank statement of conditions. as he had found them after his two weeks of investigation in Little Rock.
 Dr. Frost's reply follows:
 Little Rock, July 28, 1911. Mir. George R. Brown, Secretary
 Board of Trade, Little Rock, Ark. i:
 Dear Sir-In view of the reports which have been circulated to the ef- feet that Little Rock is suffering from an alarming epidemic of typhoid fev- CT, an accurate statement of the facts seems called for.
 It is true that Little Rock has suf- fered within the past two months from an epidemic of this disease-a thing, however, which is unfortunate ly not uncommon in the history of practically any American city. The epidemic occurred in June and the early part of July, and is now on the decline, and with the active measures which the city authorities are taking the condition at present is not such as to cause alarm.
 Altogether some 250 cases have oc- cured, mostly in June and the first half of July. The chances of visitor contracting typhoid fever in Little Rock now are hardly as great as in the average country town.
 As regards my presence here as a representative of the public health and marine hospital service, this does not in any way indicate that the con- ditions here were such as to cause alarm in Washington. I was sent here by request of the mayor-not to hace charge of preventive measures but to locate the source of the cpl demic.
 The investigation now being con- ducted and the active interest being shown in sanitary matters do not indi- cate that Little Rock is worse off than other cities. They do indicate that this city is determined to have no re- currence of the recent epidemic; that it is determined to be better off than it's sister cities; that it will no longer be satisfied to have the usual annual typhoid rate of the south, but will re- move itself from the list of average cities in this respect.
 Teh publicity which the Little Rock papers have given to the conditions and the activity of tn ecitizens are al- together in their favor, and ought to increase rather than decrease confi- dence in the city and it's ability to take care of its citizens and visitors.
 Yours etc.,
 w. H. FROST, Passed Assistant Surgeon Public
 Health and Marine Service.