The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1935-02-28
MORE TYPHOID FOUND IN
COUNTRY THAN IN CITIES
Is Partly Due To Expense of Ru-
raj Sanitary improvements

Throughout the United States
health officers and others have noticed
that typhoid fever and other filth
borne diseases have diminished very
greatly in the cities in the last 25
years, but that the cases of these dis
eases in the country have not dimin-
ished as rapidly as they should" stated
DR.. E. C. Peck, local health officer, the
other day. "The slowness of improve
ment in the country is partly due to the
expense of putting in proper sanitary
improvements at isolated homes. 1t is
also due to the inability and unwilling
ness of some land owners to under
stand why every new plan made should
regard the health of the people as an
important consideration.
'In Garrett county, the money
spent here by summer visitors and by
tourists is an important asset. Re-
Gently talked with a gentleman from
Pittsburgh who said he had been to
Garrett county twenty years before
and had caught typhoid fever and had
never been back since. Think how
much harm is done by such a man
telling his experience to his friends
who consider coming here in the sum-
mer.
81 am enclosing with this letter
which l have had to write this week
and l wish you would print it in full,
as we have not given the name of the
party to whom it is addressed, and it
might we'll be addressed to any one of
many land owners in this county,"
The letter follows:
February 27, 1885.
Dear Sir:-When the engineer from
the State Department of Health called
at the new house which you had built
for your daughter and son-in-law, he
was received rather discourteously and
was told to ask why I was picking on
you, so l am writing to explain the
situation.
You have built a fine looking new
house near the State road which is not
only credit to your own family, but
makes the whole neighborhood better
by it's presence. But l was informed
by the occupants that the present I'M
sanitary conditions were temporary
and were to be replaced by running
water and drain which would carry
the sewage from your house directly
into a small stream near the State
road Within a short distance below,
this small stream runs through pas
ture where your neighbours cows drink
and runs so close to his house that his
children will probably play in it in the
summer, and passes near enough to
the spring house so that in flood time
stream water might easily enter that.
In 1914 the State Legislature passed
a law forbidding unsanitary methods
of sewage disposal. This law is not a
dead-letter, but gradually is being
more and more strictly enforced and
similar laws are being enforced all
over the country. For example, the
city of Chicago is at present spending
$42,000,000 to reform its Anticipated
sewage disposal system.
Oul IuGCllCtOA wa W OIlCI yOIt
friendly advice so that you would in
stall an inexpensive outfit which would
be satisfactory in the future when san
itary laws are more strictly enforced
in this county. At present we have no
intention of entering into a lot of
court prosecutions to cause lot of
expense to the people of the commu-
nifty. AS you have probably heard over
the radio, many authorities, including
the Federal government, are showing
increased interest in this question.
Will you please try to be a good
neighbor in your community instead
of putting yourself in the position Of
wilfully depositing fresh filth on your
neighbours doorstep?
We are sending you one of the pam
phlets on typhoid fever which the State
Health Department issues for distri-
button. hope you will find time to
read it and see some of the reasons
behind our work.
EUGENE C. PECK, MD, M.P.H.,
Deputy State Health Officer.