Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-08-09
FIVE TYPHOID CASES,
WITH ONLY ONE DEATH
Total Number OF Persons Now Suf-'
fering With Disease in Rich
mond Is Eighty-SiN.
CITY WATER sArEGuARDED
Health Officials Say All Drinking
Water. Especially From Wells and
Springs, Should Re Boilctl-Clcan
Soda Fountains Not Dangerous.

/ Soda Fountains Not Dangerous.
! There was little change in tho
typhoid fever situation in Richmond
yesterday. five new cases and ono
death. colorcd patient. being reported
to the Health Department by attending
physicians. This makes the total mum
Der of persons suffering from the dis
ease cishty-siN
AS the number OF cases Increase the
demand for antityphoid vaccine goes
up. and SO frequent have calls for IL
become at the health offices in the CITY
Hail that practically the cutirc atteu-
ton Of Chief Health Officer Levy's stan
has been turned TO caring for them.
One thousand doses Of the serum was
expected by the department Yesterday
afternoon. and its failure to arrive
caused disappointment to hundreds of
applicants. who had previously been
told that ii had been ordered Chief
Clerk Haskcr was kept busy trying to
locate the shipment by wire. and he
announced that 1t would probably be
on hand carly to-day for distribution
A further order of 500 doses is also
expected this morning.
WOULD B0IL ALI. WATER,
ESPECIALLY FROM SPRINGS
a large and up-to-date chlorinator,
TO take care OF the publication OF the
c!tys wafer supply. has been installed
at the Settling Basin by Richard
Messer, sanitary engineer of the State
Board of Health, whose services were
placed at tho disposal OF DR.. Levy by
assist in the work of safeguarding the
public health of Richmond Chlorine
has been added TO the city's wator since
July 90. and DR. Levy is confident that
any typhoid which may have been con-
tracted since that date was not from
this source
AS prime precaution. DR.. Levy
urges the public 10 boil all water used
for drinking purposes. He does not
by any means contine this warning to
include only city water. but any water
from any spring or we'll or any other
source. BY boiling II all danger of in
lection is removed.
DR.. Levy last night expressed the
opinion that there was great deal Of
misunderstanding regarding the ques-
ton of soda water fountains. at hap
pens" he said, that n small group Of
cases has been traced TO one of these
fountains. This. however. does not
mean that soda fountains constitute
special source OF danger.
SEES NO DANGER IN
CLEANLY KEPT FOUNTAINS
while we have not been able TO
determine the exact manner in which
the fountain in question caused the
trouble" he continued. there can be
little doubt but that it was due to that
most troublesome single thing in con-
Nection with typhoid fever. the typhoid
carrier.
while in this instance a soda foun-
tain was involved, II might we'll
have hecn any place where food or
drink is sold. The way in which such
trouble arises is through some single
careless act. The carrier has not
washed his hands properly, and that is
the story.
During the past ten years we have
located several carriers In Richmond
one Of these was a cook, who caused
eleven cases of typhoid fever. dis
tributed through four families in diff
fercnt sections of the city. The second
case was a grocer. and. assuming a
carrier was involved. the present soda
fountain case is our third.
MORE DANGER IN DIRTY
COOK THAN AT FOUNTAINS
II have, therefore, cautioned the
public TO notice carefully for them
selves the way in which soda is dis
penscd at the places patronized by
them. Soda water itself does not con-
Stitute any peculiar risk, for. as just
stated. we have had this one instance
in ten years. IL the boy at the sod;,
fountain touches with his hands the
leo which he puts In your drink
patroniZc another place. If glasses are
not washed in clean, running water,
give another place your custom, but
do not imagine that soda water is any
greater risk than any other food or
drink. Unless you know that your
cook is careful in her habits. she Is q
far greater risk than the soda foun-
tain
While the public has been warned to
exercise individual caution to prevent
infection, the Health Department con-
tinues stolidly at it's task OF eliminat-
ing all sources by which the disease
could possibly he spread. The water
supply is regarded as safe; there is no
danger, officials say, from Pasteurized
milk. while the risk caused by dry
closets In the city has been reduced to
a minimum.