The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-07-22
THE PHYSICIAN AS A WTfFNF,
New Science of Laboratory Criminologv Which
tracks Microscopic Murderers and Outlaws to
Their LARS. ' "
st. Louis oSt-Dispatch..

gtStntt cTlffll1dlS-tO minute ASA SSln ~ |
and ia D5its in the form OF ~rnurderousi
and piilasinS Undertakes resulted !
today ia \ fascinating new science OF
laboratory c~riminoiogy. which boasts
it's brilliant Lecoqs Of the microscope
and culture tube. as well as its army
If medical plain clothes men, or
Piakertons Of pathology. in
aefense OF society health instead OF
it's property.
IN scientific police has its rogues. |
gallery fof the Identification of noto-
rions outlaws OF the germ underworld
II has . Eertl1en system Of Measure
meats and fnger-2rints, so to speak:
aud il has developed a technique Of
keen deduction from crews and Skill
sWi analysis Of evidence which would
net discre It the am OF Sherlock
HoaNeS.
He"ce it is that in turning over the
l-eves 81 a medical Journal one some
times finds. hidden away among for
rnidshle arrays Of t~eehaicali1iez and
Forbidden tAbis Of statistics. q
story from real life which for r,ys-
,-ry ara cseverneas il its soAation. for
expert p"rsai Of cseWs and traimed
halancinS 81 evidence. might enlist the
rs~sasstic pen Of Sir Arthur Conan
Iseyse.
A roceatiy published narrative re-
cOuAtHd the dramatic saFaYeaias of a
JsrstleH Of disease, with rAniAcatioas
extending from the Atlaotic seAboasd
~ he great lakes and freu Chicas 80
t., New Orleans. The so1utien, inter
case 0f typhoid fever which occurred
ia .MississtPpi more ham tea years
&efore.
In the aerinc Of l9ss elevea per
sOtxa. living in such widely seDAraLed
Cities Of the NORTH as Chicago, New
yark ~ PhdAdeAe2iA, wore cezaza-
lasce&t frsR typAoiA fever. A4thoaE1a
presented To the medical detective one
feet ia ecEa1noa: All Of tAe eaeven
fee~ ana wouea had beeA guests arr-
inx TIA meath Of March AZ q winter
hotel on the Louisiana shore Of the
HNaf 0f Msxio0.
W0waA enpaoy . detective agency ia
in|eatA9ate . shortage in Its aocoaAtS
- the hOtea management, tor the SAX
~ its RfeUtise. retained physicians VI
tAe Chicago Board OF Health to in.
4aHe iAtO the source OF the epiAe0ic
They went to the scene and spe~t sew
erAd weeks OF research before the
saIis6e1 themselves that they hat
fotnd the correct answer to the pro
blex8.
Tyts&eia fever. it must be said, il
the most nnuSNAl cAHse OF b nays
teraes Of disease with which scientif,
~ieaths are called upon tO cope. Othes
.1Astadies as cosnmoniY epidemic a
typhoiA ferer, such As scarlet fever
dlPhtheriz, zAeaAaS0 and malaria, ar,
believed by Investigation to hAv
mostly. il not entirely, one sole meth
81 OF Observation-Disclosures contac
with a person already infected. 1,
such cases the problem is compare
lively simple. But typhoid may b
communicated in any n Of half
d0zea ways. and therefore q seaFcl
for the origin OF any given CASE i
relatively complex.
The task OF the experts At the Loui
lana Hotel was that OF eliminating tn
possible sources OF infection one b
ore. The first WAS the question of TIA
hotels sanitary coalition. This wa
found. after q thorough survey, TO b
almost perfect.
Thea the water supply to the guest
was subjected to an exhau stive tes
chemical and archaeological. 1t wo
= clean bin Of health.
The third possibility was that tn
disease might have lei comnaun
Gated Through the food, especially q
a diet OF fish and oysters. SHch As Wa
s~rved ~abHndantly at the resort. hs
frequently been fund guilty OF ndu
ing typhoid. Data obtained corce
ing the oyster beds from which tt
hotel was supplied and eveH the ha bi
and medical history Of the fshcrme
eneaoyed tend to exonerate bot
oyS - and ash.
10 confirm this evidence the phys
c,aa detectives acquired a compile
LIS, OF the menu served at the hot
during March. 1t was not easy to leal
the facts now desired. for most OF II
gaests had departed to their hona'
ia the North. But through letters II
experts satisfied themselves that mar
perse.Ns had eaten the same focd
those stricken with typhoid. but h1
totally escaped Infection. This co
clasiyeay eliminated the diet as = PC
siSle ISOLATION.
Thea they farned to the milk su,
ply. The haaf dozen diaries fTo
which the hotel purchased milk We
p~aiastakingfy examined. All OF the
proved 10 be in an excellent state
saaitation. and it could not be learn
Mn n.y. af thnir enHlA~ReS h36 eY