The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-06-23
MEETING CALLED
BY PHYSICIANS
Continued From First Page.)

I
tho factional row between depart
ments of the city government They
do not believe in alarming the people.
but they agree that when there is the
least suspicion of danger 1t Is neces-
sary that every possible precaution be
| taken. Before the State Department
Of Health was organized. Dr. Levy was
called upon by many cities In Virginia
to investigate typhoid fever. his work
at Virginia, for instance. having at
tractcd Widespread attentio nand an
proval. DR.. George c. Whipnle, pro-
fessor of sanitary engineering at Har-
ward. whose book. Typhoid Fever" is
accepted as the one authority, men
TONED DIR. Levy as one of the three
i.eVS Views or typhoid were included
IN i'r. Whippies observations
Worse 'rhnn Old system.
Facts and statements piled UP yes
.eraaH III the work of gathering inror-
nation which has direct bearinc ON
the action of the Administrative Board
Councilman Morgan II. Mills. who was
chairman Of the Water Committee I'm
to the time that it was wiped out OF
existence by tho advent of the hoard
SAID last night that he could not I'M
derstand WHY the suggestion OF DIR
Levy rad been ignored.
Ut i1sNS letter went to the proper
authority, saiu Mr.. Mills, and II the
I '"''i' ituu'St Ii.V come TO me n chair
man OF the Water Committee, I would
nave ordered the plant Installed with
out waiting to call the committee to-
Etthcr' II IN not question OF what
l may think Of the water or of what
| superintendent Davis may think ~
have got To be guided by the Health
/ department. Even under the old
system OF municipal government. which
| Vas regarded by many people as slow
ana cumbersome and full OF red tape,
This same thing could nor have hap
pencd That health prccaution would
have been taken the day DR. Levy urged
It."
Cost S3-Not $500.
viewed from the standpoint OF econ
omy, one astounding fact was brought
! 'ofth yesterday-the hypochloritc plant
/ can he installed at cost Of s3-uot
$500 All the Administrative Board
/ nceded In carrying out the Health De
( 2artments urgent demand was an
( empty whiskcy barrel. two pipes. with
/ ordinary stop cock arrangements. ana
enough solution to sterilze the water
and thereby kill all typhoid
germs without dctrment to the sun
/ ply. Tho amount Of this solution in
! 100000 gallons OF water is innnitcsi-
NAL
Superintendent Davis. while silent
when urged To protcr, the water from
tho Settling Basin, put in the same
whiskcy barrel plant for the South
Richmond supply In April when chief
Health officer Levy issued percmptory
orders to stop pumping raw water. fol
/ lowing this un with :. printed appeal
to the people OF South Richmond TO
boil every bit OF water before drinking
IL The state Department OF Health.
with the assistance OF Or. Lumsdeu Of
the United States Public Health Ser
vice. might be able to show If any
OF the typhoid cases In south
Richmond were caused by the use OF
raw water which Superintendent Davis
pumped and which DR. Levy stopped.
II was by the merest chance that Or.
Levy found out about the raw water
pumping for the Southsidc.
Found Out by Chance.
On April Il he met Superintendent
Davis in the rotunda or the city Hall
as they We're passing IN and out. Mr.
Davis Informed Or Levy OF the facts
and Or. Levy wanted immediate de-
tails MIR. Davis said he was too busy.
There is no work in your department
half so important as this" said Or.
Levy. He got the facts. Half an hour
later. with Superintendent Davis in tow.
he was Al the South Richmond plant
And the raw water was being pumped
through--raw water from James River
that had not been In the basin long
enough to be purified With the help
OF Assistant superintendent Charles
Burkcrt, who is in charge OF the South
Richmond plant. a hypochlorite plant
was Installed. rugged up At cost OF
a few dollars 10 protect tho people of
the Southsidc from typhoid. When he
returned TO his Office hour later, Dr.
Levy requested the afternoon news
papers 10 urge everybody In South
Richmond to boil the water. The
Health Department picked UP the facts
from tho Water Department on the
wing, realized the danger. stopped the
pumping OF raw water, installed a plant
e.a.as In 4