New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-08-13
No TYPHOID EPIDEMIC
IN FINANCIAL SECTION
Health Board Finds Only Five
Cases Among Three Thou.
sand Bank Employees.
SPRING WATER INDICATED
department Starts Inquiry Into
Outbreak of the Disease in
New Utrecht Section sn
of Brooklyn. 1@


&c prook1yn III
b.
The Department Of Health completed
On Investigation yesterday of typhoid
,svsr conditions in the Wall Street sec
ton of the city. It was declared by the
authorities Of the department that a CEN
sus OF three thousand bank employees had
disclosed only five cases OF typhoid. Four
Of those who were stricken with the dis
sssa we're found to be commuters, and
three Of the FIVE had been drinking Gro
ION water daily at their Offices in this
cltv. The two others had DeeD drinking
snring water from two points far apart.
The report that gained circulation in
the financial district early last week that
many bank employees had been stricken
With the disease because of the use OF
snripg water caused the department TO
make the investigation. with the above re-
suits
Since the rumors began 10 circulate,
bowever the department has been
swsmped with appeals by numerous per-
sons TO have certain kinds of spring
water analyzed. They were told yester-
s,y that the department conducted at
frequent intervals meteorological exam
nation OF the different varieties Of spring
water sold in the city, and that up to
,hs present time nothing had been dis
closed to warrant any OF the present ex-
element.
II vas brought to the cognizance OF the
authorities yesterday that circulars had
hsen handed out In the financial district
by certain water dispensing company
saving that present conditions were such
that only its brand was safe.
Outbreak in New Utrecht.
An investigation is being conducted by
the d.,..tment into the typhoid epidemic
that hes developed In the New Utrecht
section of Brooklyn, where elghty-two
cases Of the disease have been reported
IN less than FIVE days. Twenty-four of
these patients are in the Norwegian Hos
pital, while there are several others IN
the Coney Island Hospital, and some are
IN the care Of private physicians.
The milk and water supplies in this
section are being rigidly inspected. the
suddenness Of the outbreak is somewhat
similar TO that which appeared In an
orphan asylum in The Bronx last year.
when forty or more cases were developed
in the one institution and were later
traced 10 a defective milk supply.
From January l to August Of the pres
ent wear 1905 cases Of typhoid have been
reported from all the boroughs, as against
l122 for the same period in 1911. Mammal
tan. except for a slight increase In the
early part of the year. has Deeh con-
sis,entlv lower than in 1911, while BROOK
lyn and The Bronx have been responsible
for any definite rises.
In Julv there were $50 cases reported IN
Manhattan. as against 22l for the same
month in 1911. In Brooklyn however
,bsre we're 1913 cases reported, as com
usrad with SO in 1911. There were 81 IN
The Bronx. as against IS for July 1911
ard the % cases in Queens and the o
a. picbnond showed a slight rise over
,hs eg,res in the same month year ago.
In IN August l the total number or ~
nhoid fever cases in Manhattan was It.
ported as 646. against 64S for the sa'no
period IN l4li. while Brooklyn showed 4oo
cases as compared with SS7 for the CORE
sponding period last year. The hVe-year
average for the same number or months
for an boroughs is LA.
A special investigation is being made
OF cases in The Bronx, eight Of which are
under suspicion.
The report that one man in Mooresto"h,
y J., had innocently spread typhoid
germs in his capacity as manager or
dairy interested health authorities yester-
day. II called TO mind one OF the most
unusual infections ever noted IN New
York.
A Similar Case in 1909.
In August, 1909. a sudden increase in ty-
nhoid cases aroused tho suspicion OF the
authorities. Investigation finally traced
the source Of the infection back TO Cam
den. y. Y. The former manager OF the
, creamery there was III with typhoid fever.
Further evidence showed that there had
been an unusually large number OF cases
In that vicinity. On dairy farm In cam
den was found typhoid bacillus carrier
Of forty-six years standing. and the large
outbreak was traced to this source.
Another sudden rise in February. 1910,
In this city. was traced to milk Infected
bv bacillus carrier. and case OF
laboratory typhoid was contracted from
tho culture.
In his report on these two sources OF
Injection DR.. Charles f. Bolduan, acting
assistant TO the general medical officer OF
the Department of Health, said that one
wav 10 guard against such infection OF the
milk supply was for dairymen to hire em-
.ployes who had undergone necessary pac-
THEOLOGICAL examinations. So far as the
ordinary milk is concerned, DR.. Boiduaf
declared, and that constituted the bulk OF
the milk sold in the city, it seemed Inn
possible to guard against that form oil
Infection in any other way than by EN-
a.