New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-15
FEWER TYPHOID CASES
LederIe Attributes Decrease to
Use of PaSteurized Milk.
TO OFFER IMMUNIzATI0N
Department Plans in Future
to Perform NEGOTIATIONS at
Homes Of Applicants.

The increased use Of pasteurized
milk according to Health Commissioner
Lederle, is one OF the chief reasons for
the marked decrease in the number or
cases OF typhoid fever reported in the
first eleven months OF the present year.
as compared with the same months in
the last five years. About 60 per cent OF
the milk supply now IS pasteurized.
Statistics Of the Department Of Health
| show that the number OF typhoid fever
cases reported In the last eleven months
| from all borOughs was 2,SSl. as compared
with 3137 for the same months in 1911 and
| $3.50 for the average In that period dur
! ing the last five years.
or the 2.SSl cases in the greater city
| there We're l.2l2 reported from Brooklyn.
while Manhattan reported l0i All the
! boroughs except Brooklyn and Richmond
! showed a marked decrease in the number
Of typhoid cases. The increase In Rich
mond, however, was very small. but that
| In Brooklyn was decidedly large one.
There were 30 more cases In that Dor
| ough i'm the last eleven months than In
the same time In 1911. Several epidemics
were noted there during the year. The
steady and marked decrease IN the re-
ported cases in Manhattan was one OF
/ the features in the typhoid fever stua ton
! during the present year.
| During the month OF November l9S cases
were reported from the greater city, as
compared with 40 for the same month
last year. Brooklyn, too, showed In No
vember decrease Of many cases. There
were reported seventy-six cases from that
borough, against 30 for the same month
in 1911.
| While giving pasteurized milk credit FOR
better typhoid conditions. Health Com
| missioner IIederle did not minimize the
effect OF better sanitation and the warfare
ON the breeding places OF flies In speak
Ing OF the typhoid situation the Commits
siOner said:
| The time will come when the death
7 rate from typhoid fever IN this city Will
be much less than from many other dis
| eases. When l asked we'll known ty-
! phoid specialist 10 serve on the typhoid
advisory committee OF the Department OF
| Health, he said there would be no need
for such a committee when there was
general use OF pasteurized milk and the
| city water WIS filtered.
| 1T Is my opinion that with the univer-
sal use OF pasteurlzed milk in this city
and the filtration OF the water there Will
| be removed two sources OF possible cpl
denies that will make a decided change
| In typhoid conditions"
| Commissioner Lederle does not believe
] this city can have such an unusually low
| IL he ,fta Of ~
which is one OF the model cities I'm that
! direction. The army OF transients, the
Commissioner said, has much TO do with
the number OF typhoid cases here. and
many cases are contracted by New York
| ers while at summer resorts and other
! places but inasmuch the disease de-
| yelOped here the city is credited with it,
| II think the typhoid immunzation work
! planned by the department a most i'm
| portant step in the warfare on typhoid,
declared the Health Commissioner. The
physicians OF the city are to be Informed
during the coming week regarding the
plans Of the department. The letter to be
sent TO the physicians says:
! Illumination against typhoid fever. Or
! the incubation of a healthy person with
1 sterilzed typhoid cultures in order 20
prevent infection with typhoid fever, has
passed beyond the experimental stage and
I has become established as a prophylactiS
measure Of proved efficiency. Feeling
: that its wider use under proper precau-
/ tons is called for the Department II
| Health of the City of New York now
holds itself ready to perform immuniza-
tons on request.
1t was explained that immunzation
would be offered 10 all other members Of
! families in which a case of typhoid fever
occurs For the present all NEGOTIATIONS
will be made at the homes Of applicants,
at the borough offices OF the central office
| Of the department, or the cultures will
be furnished 10 physicians for their own
use.