The Washington herald., 1918-07-17
FEVER
IN ALEXANDRIA
CONSIDERED
Epidemic Subject Of Rec.
concentrations to City
Council.

Alexandria, Va. Jul, ia ma
joTIty of the fifty-twH - of ty-
phoid fever here. invI cd under
the direction of DR.. l.. l. Lumsden,
of the United States PUblic Health
Service. resulted beyond a reason
able doubt from the City's water
supply. according to the statement
made tonight before the members
of city council in joint session as
sembled for the purpose of hear
ing the report of DIR. Lumsden. He
said he did not asstrt that the pub
lie water supply caused every case.
DIR. Lumsden said he would not lay
the blame on anyone in particular,
adding "it is just unfortunate"
The water supply. he sated, came
from a fairly thickly settled rural
section. The chlorine treatment, he
declared, was the only safeguard
to whic hthe water was subjected.
Visited Plant.
He told Of visiting the Company's
plant, and of how frank those in
charge were. He said there should
be an additional process, that OF
filtration, which he had been told
had been ordered by the State cor
poration commission. He believed
il feasible for the water company
to hold down the situation till a
plant was installed.
DIR. Lumsden said that he and his
assistants had started their investi-
CATION July 9. Each house where the
disease existed was visited and a
minute examination of each case con-
Quoted to ascertain the cause. Later
he had learned that there was some
thing that occurred June 13 to July 8
that caused the outbreak and that the
maximum number of cases were from
June Is to June 20. The outbreak had
been spread through the city proper
tionately. There had been a slight
excess of cases where insanitary boxes
were in use. His findings were that
the chief causes were inanitary sew
eTage, impounded supply of milk, flies
and pollution of water supply.
He congratulated the city on its
remarkably small number of outdoor
toilets, which he said consisted of
only about 400. He also congratulated
the city on the work of cleaning up
being done.
Some of the cases, he said. probably
had been caused by infection from
outside the city, but he felt certain
that most were caused by the city's
buplic water supply.
All of the work incident to making
the city q sanitary one depended, he
said. on whether or not the people
wanted it and were in sympathy with
the movement.
DIR. Lumsden recommended the
adoption of an ordnance prahibiting
the sale of water not up to the govern
standard: probable adequate scaven-
ger service; abolishment Of all open
sewers; Strengthening up trunk sew
ers; sewerage system extended so as
to reach all parts Of the city and rig
idly enforce compulsory sewer tap
law.
Would watch Restaurants.
He also recommended strict watch
over all eating places.
Milk and milk products, he said
should be given special attention. He
asked that home pasteurization Of milk
be encouraged and that all breediEs
places for mosquitoes be abolished.
DR.. Lumsden also recommended n
full-time paid health officer, food in-
spector, two sanitary inspectors ard
a trained nurse to compose the city's
health department.
He further recommended the ap-
phophiation Of adeqaute funds for q
general cleanup AMI recommended
that $4,000 be :opriated to start
the work. Afterward a resolution to
this effect was presented and referred
to the finance committee.
A vote of thanks was extended DR..
Lumsden for his address.
Afterward, Attorney s. G. Brent.
who represents the city before the
State Corporation Commission in the
water rate case. submitted recom-
mendations of the engineer Of that
commission which would In some in
stances double the prevailing rates.
This will be argued Thursday before
the commission. The lowest rate for
any single spisot win be s12, ae rec
emmendsa By the epgineer.