The Washington times., 1914-06-06
FIND OYSTERS FREE
FROM TYPHOID GERM
Baltimore Investigation Shows
Shell Fish, as Rule, Free
From Contamination.

There are seasons OF the year when
the instances Of infection with the or
ganisms of typhoid fever can be traced
to their source. The greater outbreaks
are usually due to infected water. milk,
or other foods. while the smaller groups
and isolated cases can best be explained
by contact infection. The carrier has
been shown to be the link between
hitherto unconnected cases. For many
years no form of air infection Except
dust) has been said to be cause Of
typhoid, and the reports of outbreaks
Of dust-borne typhoid fever in the Span
ish and Boer wars and in India are
based on the fiimsiest evidence.
I'VE have not forgotten the ubiquitous
housefiy as a frequent carrier of dis
ease" says the Journal Of the American
Medical Association. IN many of our
States. however. insects OF this type are
excluded as effective agents Of Infection
because Of the climate during the coloer
months of the year. 50 that we cannot
fall back on the convenient hypothesis
of transmission by fiies.' Even since
Conn's report indicating the occurrence
OF cases Of typhoid fever in epidemic
form as the result of the use CT oysters
contaminated with sewage. there has
been a growing tendency to attribute
the origin of much Of the winter typhoid
fever in certain districts to sewage
polluted bivalves.
1T is time to ascertain whether this
attitude toward the oyster Is justified
by the facts. oysters are a highly
priced article of diet wherever they are
obtainable Despite the Increasing en-
forcement Of rigid regulations concern
ing the vending Of oysters that are free
ards Of such representative bodies as the
Bureau OF Chemistry Of the United
States Department of Agriculture and
the Rhode Island Shell Fish Commits
sion. the prejudice against this food
product has. Justly or unjustly. increas-
ed in many quarters. To consider only
the alleged responsibility of the oyster
in the causation of winter typhoid we
may ask what It's habits are at this
season. Gorham has shown that during
cold weather oysters rest or hibernate;
movement ceases, and feeding does not
occur. and the oysters become prac-
tically free from sewage organisms,
even when lying on sewage-polluted
bees.
'.As such facts seem to throw some
doubt on the wisdom of attributing
winter typhoid, to the oyster. Joseph
has made a bacteriologfc study of the
oysters sold in Baltimore The aim OF
the laboratory OF hygiene and bac-
teriolcgy at the Johnsy Hopkins Uni
versity was to ascertain whether the
oysters sold in one of the most promi-
nent markets for these products in
the United States contain typhoid or
sanisms derived from the intestinal
tract. and whether their content varies
with the seasons of the rear
The bacterial findings indicate that
the oysters sold in Baltimore are in
general free from sewage CONTAINING
ton Those few lots which would be
by the most rigid standards
were obtained at times Of the year
when the weather was quite warrn-a
fact Of no little significance In view q
the tendency TO prolong the oyster
eating season beyond the limits of the
colder months. One of the most strik-
ing points brought out was the distinct
change In the character OF the oysters
a according to the time of the year. In
the early fall the scores are high, In |
the cold weather of rnidwinter low, and |
a gain high in the spring. On no occa- |
sion were the bacteria which cause |
typhoid found" |