The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-05-10
TYPHOID EPIDEMIC.
NEAR Il W|SBURG
IS CAUSING WORRY
Drastic Steps Taken In Effort
To Locate Source Of
Infection

We UGtH hurried TO HOSDltdlS III the
Lewisburg typhoid epidemic that was
reported to the city and county
health authorities in the city hall
Tuesday morning. DR.. J. D. Dowl-
ing, health officer, Immediately or
dered quarantine of the homes at
fected trained nurses for the pa
TENTS and has his special men
searching the community for the
source OF Infection.
Matte Wallace, 16. colored died
within ten days after the malady was
diagnosed. Percy Wallace, II, her
brother, has been sent to the Hill
man hospital Carrie b. Hornbuckle,
4, of the immediate neighborhood,
WAS sent to the hospital.
North Birmineha has also been
sent TO the Hllman hospital
Geraldine SHELTON, 9, white, is be-
ing cared for at home by special
nurse. The room in which the patient
lies has been screened and other
necessary precautions taken.
Three OF the cases were diagnosed
a. typhoid Monday and the fourth
Tuesday. All are attendants of the
hools i'm LeWisburg, which has
placed the water of the Lewisburg
well, though said to be over 400 feet
deen. uader Suspicion, as the well
supplies the white and negro schools.
Samples ct water from this we'll were
brought to the city laboratory Tues
d3y morning and analysis started.
The result. ii negative, will be known
Wednesday; Il positive it will not be
known until Thursday.
chief Inspector II. d. Perkins Of
the health department. with squad
or assistants, spent Monday in
thorough inspection of sanitation in
Levi sburr. He reported to DR.. Dowl-
inc Tuesday that sanitary arrange
n.ents as far as he and his men could
learn seem to be in very satisfactory
condition. The we'll. however, from
which the schools get their water.
Mir. Perkins said, was in the valley,
subject 10 possible seepage drainage
from a considerable area.
Devote Week To Inspection.
Inspector S. A. Tarrant OF the
county branch of the health depart
ment is cooperating with Mr.. Per-
kins and practically most of this
week Will be devoted by them in a
rigid inspection of Lewisburg until
the source of the typhoid infection Is
found
Prompt measures were under way
Tuesday morning for incubation of
sehool children in Lewisburg with
aEti-typhoid vaccine, and all persons
of the neighborhood who desire the
treatment may get 1t at once. me
dairy workers in Lewisburg will an
undergo anti-typhoid incubation
Wednesday morning and extra screen
and other precautions will be taken.
Hospitals have been notified to
stand by for possible additional pa
tients, for it is the intention of the
health authorities to get all new
patients under especially trained care
AVID hoepitat serrpcatiDn quickly
as diagnoses are positive.
Remembering the typhoid epidemic
of 1916. when more than 500 cases
developed in the city, DR.. Downing
states that no prceaution will be over
looked and segregation of patients,
analyses of food and water and every
prccaution possible will be applied.
Typhoid usually manifests itself,
said DIR. Bowling Tuesday, by temper
aturo. headache and ''malaise"; gen
orally feeling bad, and when the
cause of the continued headache and
temperature cannot be located within
three or four days. look out for ty-
phoid and call a doctor.
There is great danger OF transmits
sion before the disease Is diagnosed,
for many try to continue their daily
way even after they have shown tenn
perature for several days.
o o o
Worried About Source.
The Lewisburg water has been
analyzed repeatedly and heretofore
has been pronounced clean. Because
OF this the authorities are more than
a little worried in their search for
the origin of the infection 1T is a
fact. DR.. Bowling said, that the ma
jorty of cases of typhoid lately have
been among young people OF school
age That Is the cause of the inten-
sive work that has been going on In
inoculating school children
chief reason for sending the Lew
isburg patients to the hospitals -
the number of members in the faml-
Hes where the disease has ben found:
Thereaare from five to II members OF
some of the families.
At the funeral OF the colored girl,
Matte Wallace, Tuesday, the inspec-
tors found 80 people present. These
were Immediately sent away and ad-
vised to apply for antityphoid inocu-
lation.
DR.. Downing. Tuesday morning,
said that while it is not indicated
there will be a general epidemic be-
cause Of the unusual number of cases
developing in such rapid succession,
caution should be taken by oil
throughout the district, as flies travel
rapidly and go far and as long as
the source OF infection is unknown.
none should take chances. He ad-
vises taking the anti-typhoid treat
ment, seeing that house screens are
in order and carefully cleansing any
bought raw food before serving, and
20 pay especial attention to the de-
struction of refuse in which flies
may breed.