Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1914-08-25
SECOND STATE !,
E,0FF|CER COMING
asK S = .;
Engineer Messer Will AS
sist DR.. Waddell in
Typhoid Research,
REPORT READY TODAY
VIII Recommend Filtration Plant and
Sanitary Officer-No New Cases or
Deaths Reported Today.
-x:ns
REPORT READY TODAY

----- - TSN
So serious has become the alarm lr
Alexandria over the typhoid fever
endemic which is raging in this city
that immediate steps will be taken tc
endeavor to stamp out the disease.
Officers of the city government, the
State Board of Health, the physicians
of the city and officers of the Alex
andria Water Co., which furnishes the
city with its water supply, will JOIN
in a campaign that will mean the
elimination of the fever.
In addition to DR.. J. A. Waddell,
of the Virginia State Health Board,
who is making a study of the situa-
ton, the State Health Board will
send their sanitary engineer, Richard
Messer, of Richmond, to this city, to
assist DR.. Waddell in his investiga-
lions. Mr.. Messer will reach Alex
andria tomorrow morning and will be
detained to make an inspection of the
water supply and present further
recommendation that will insure the
purifcation of the water that now
reaches the city from Cameron Run.
IN the meanwhile the health officers
are not taking any chances and str;:.t
orders have been issued forbidding
the use of the city water for drink
ing purposes unless it is boiled.
DR.. Waddell, who has been in the
city since Friday, has practically com.
pleted his report, which will be sent
to the State Board Of Health tonigh-.
A copy will be furnished to DR.. E. A.
German, city health officer, and it is
expected that the latter will ask the
presiding officers of both bodies of
City Council to Ia d special meet
ing to consider the report and take
Steps to have; Pr: Waddelps recon-
n niendations carried out. - :
Among the recommendations that
Dr.; Waddell will make is! that a fl
tRatidh::aald cbofme iisteriliqatiog- plaht
oe established at 1.-THE reservoir of the
Alexandria Wates 81, This he thinks
as absolutely necessary because of the
presence of intestinal germs in the
water, An examination OF. the3water
has Just Fbeen made by 9Dl. James
Freeman, State >bacteriologist. Two
samples twere1sent, one from. low
pressure main in the First Ward sandI
the other from high pressure main
in the Fourth Ward.a Inzthe former
Intestinal bacteria were found in as
small a quantity as one cubic cent?
meter .(15) drops of water, which is
regarded as highly dangerous. In
the ttertthe, bacteria were found I'M
quantities of water as small as ten
centimeters:: While DR.. iWaddell does
not go so far as to say that the water
supply is to blame for the epidemic,
he states that the presence of the
bacteria makes. one highly suspicious
that the water may be one of the
principai contributing reasons for the
large number of cases: :: i
The presence of the bacteria in the
water is: easily accounted forihy DR..
Waddell, who says that tits to be ex-
pected when the. supply is received
from a water shed that is so thickly
populated as: in the case of. the Cam
eron Run she'd & The presence, of a
large number of laborers, who. are at
work on the Barcroft Dam, where the
water company is building a new
reservoir, may also have something to
nc with the presence Of the bacteria
IN the water. Two cases of typhoid
We're recently removed from the OBJ:
structlon camp at the dam.
Or. WaadeA will strongly recon-
mend the appointment of perma-
nent sanitary officer to be under the
Immediate direction Of the city health
officer. He finds the sanitary condi-
tions of the city in bad shape. Sew
ers are stopped up and should be reg
ularly flushed, outdoor privies are in
bad condition and are not properly.
screened against flies and allies and
backyards need cleaning. He refers to
one alley in the vicinity of King and
Henry streets, where number of