The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-10-04
Il TYPHOID CASES
IN RICHMOND FOUND
BY STATE OFFICIALS
Authorities Close Hartman
Dairy as Probable Spread
er of Infection.
STATE AGENT WRATHYi
State Inspector Finds Milk
Strainers Covered With
Verdigris.

DR.. John Owens of the state board
or health, after a thorough examina-
tion OF the typhoid fever epidemic in
Richmond, reported to City Health
Officer Davis today that there are
twenty-seyen cases in the city and
four just outside the city limits, O.
total OF thirty-one cases.
II is generally believed that the
William Hartman dairy, northeast OF
the city. was the agency which spread
this disease. for twenty-one of the
thirty-one persons i'll with this disease
used milk supplied by the Hartman
dairy All along the route OF the
hartman dairy wagon. from the north
end, across the river and thence to
the south end. are cases OF typhoid.
So convinced are the state
officials that typhoid germs have been
distributed in the bottle milk of the
Hartman dairy that F. w. Tucker. an
inspector for the state pure food and
drug department. today ordered Hart.
man TO suspend business.
1T will be impossible, however. to
draw any final conclusions from DR..
Owens report alone" said City Health
Officer Davis after the report had been
filed by him. but after an analysis
of the milk secured at the Hartman
dairy and the Henry Nolte dairy,
which sells its output to Hartman. and
an analysis of the water used in
cleansing the bottles and cans at the
Hartman dairy, there Is no question
that the source of the epidemic can be
located. probably by Monday
DIR. Owens. Sanitary Officer Young
and Dairy Inspector Flock visited
every house where their is now or
has been recently a typhoid case. DIR.
Owens was finally convinced that the
frst case was at home on North
street where Hartman milk was used.
being purchased from a north end
grocery. At this home a mother and
child are now i'll. the child contracting
the disease first. For a time the dishes
used for the food taken to the sick
child were washed in the same yes
sci and with the same washrag used
for cleansing the milk bottles. These
bottles Were then taken back TO the
grocer anE-.ollected by Hartman.
Uses Hot Water.
Hartman has no steam sterilizing
machine. and has been cleansing his
bottles with hot water. apparently be-
ing under the impression that this was
an effective method of sterilization.
The same cleansing brush was used
for all bottles. and the authorities be-
lieve this served to distribute the ty-
phoid germs among the various bot
ties, which, after being cleansed, but
not sterilized. were filled with milk
and distributed to Hartman's various
customers.
| After a thorough investigation Of the
premises at Hartman's place Inspector
Tucker said today:
I'VE are becoming more than ever
convinced that the typhoid epidemic
originated at Mr.. Hartman's place.
| His farm-yard is In fair shape and his
cow stable might baJworse but the big
gest danger is in his water supply.
/ That is very bad. He uses from two
sources, a well and a spring.
The well is so situated that in wet
| weather drainage from barn-yard filth
! undoubtedly must seep down through
and contaminate the water. He says
he uses il only in watering his stock:
/ hope that Is the case because IL
would be a grave danger to any hu-
/ man being to drink 1t.
criticises Supply.
/ The spring from which he most
uses is an open box situated along a
public road. Any person going along
might throw something in IL, dogs or