The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1920-09-17
TYPHOID
COSTS CITIES
VERY DEARLY
Fifty One Cases and Four
Deaths at Hammond Hos
pital in Past Few
Months.

Typhoid fever, a disease Of fifth ana
neglected sanitary measures, cost the
cities of the Calumet region $4,000
in the last eight months.
This is a conservative estimate, &C
cording to Or. b. Socolom, nous pny-
sician at St. M~argarets hospital. Ham
mond. who has made a study Of fever
cases at the hospital since the first or
the year. The results of his WORK
are embodied in an interesting paper
which he read at the last meeting OF
the Lake County Medical Society.
F"ifty-cne cases came before MN at
the hospital divided by cities as fol-
lows: Hammond. 8; Gibson, /; Whit
ing Z: East Chicago, 10; Indiana 80
Dor. IS. OF these fifteen were Amerl-
cans and thlrty-hve were foreigners;
there were sixteen males and thirty
four females five were between ! ana
10 years: twelve between 10 n 20;
fifteen tive 20 and 80. and eigh-
teen between 80 and 40. Four. or
eight per cent of the cases. died.
The paper goes into the matter so
thoroughly aad brings out 50 forcibly
the regions criminal neglect in deal
ing with its water supply and sanitary
measures that II is published herewith.
4 A4Ala4 +-EF@NN- $780,
s. bilitIes TO Prevent Them" by B.. So
colon. s. 8. N D, House Physician
at St. Margaret's hospital. Sept. >.
1929. Hammond. Ind.
This essay is based on q study OF
so typhoid cases treated in this hos
pital for the last eight months. w
have studied all phases of the disease.
paying special attention to the etilosy
and the possibility OF eliminating cpl
denies.
"Osler. in his remarkable treatise on
typhoid fever says: Widely distributed
throughout all parts Of the world X
probably presents everywhere the
same essential characteristics and IS
everywhere an index OF the inteili-
Eence Of a community. Imperfect sew
erage and contaminated water supply
are two special conditions f~avoring the
distribution of the bacilli; filth. over
crowding and bad ventilation are ae-
cessories in lowering the resistance Of
7, the individual exposed. While from
an infected person the disease may bs
spread by fingers. food and flies
These few words tell US with re
markable preciseness all we want 70
/, know whyNtyphold fever prevails IN
certain communities.
studying the records Of our typhoid
patients we found that one community
furnished 46 per cent OF all the cases
We had an opportunity to get ~acquaint-
ed with the sanitary conditions %
that particular community. The So
called better class with means) doel
not use the city water supply, which
they call typhoid water, for drinkin1
PURPOSES. They purchase their watet
--AFaE ErrnnfN
the city with drinking water. SOM
Of the lower class are getting theii
drinking water from a we'll belonging
70 one Of the industrial plants of thai
city. The rest. which composes TIL
great majority Of the population o
that city and are mainly foreigners
do not know any better and drinf
that typhoid city water.
The sewerage system in that com
munity is not above criticism. As q
overcrowding. food. fingers and hies
that community will answer all tn
requirements Of Sir William Osler.
"Having this in mind it is necessary
70 search for other causes Of the lih
eraI supply Of typhoid by that com
munity. Another community whieI
supplied US with 80 per cent OF o.
tvphoi patients is furnished with tn
, same water supply as the one cite
above.
Leaving out the humanitarian sid
OF it. that human life is sacred. from
an economical point Of view typho1
fever IS a great material loss 10 a com
munity. a loss which could be proven
ed. A fairly good water filler, a decen
sewerage system. and reasonably rig
public service control. such as dali