274 ROCHESTER ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. [Mclicll 1 4, 



more impressive than any verbal description could jiossibly be. I am 

 indebted to the courtesy of Dr. Ernest W'ende, Health Commissioner, 

 for its loan from his ofifice. 



At the beginning of the epidemic the Department of Health 

 fully recognized the gravity of the situation, and the imperative 

 necessity of discovering and applying a prompt and intelHgent 

 remedy. The Academy of Medicine was on the alert, and appointed 

 a number of the leading physicians of the city as an advisory 

 committee to cooperate with the officers of the Department of 

 Health. These movements of officials and scientific men naturally 

 and unavoidably intensified the public alarm. Bulletins of advice 

 were issued by the Health Com.missioner for the instruction of the 

 citizens, in which was urged the importance of sterilizing all water 

 used for domestic purposes. The Superintendents of all railways 

 entering the city were warned against the danger of supplying 

 passenger cars with water from the city mains, 'i'he faucets in the 

 public schools were ordered closed, and the children carried from 

 home bottles of sterilized water. 



The situation prompted such questions as these : — How long will 

 the epidemic probably continue ? May not this be only the beginning 

 rather than the culmination or the end of the pestilence? In view of 

 the fact that the many miles of water mains, and possibly the reser- 

 voir itself, were now thoroughly infected, and that \\\t. Bacillus typhosus 

 is capable of living and multiplying in water at ordinary tempera- 

 tures, and might thus take up its permanent abode there, no reas- 

 suring answers to such questions as these could be given. The 

 forecast was truly gloomy if not threatening. The demand that 

 something should be done to arrest the ravages of the epidemic was 

 urgently pressed upon the health authorities. Meanwhile they and 

 their advisers were earnestly considering the question,- — What can be 

 done? Before a solution of this problem could be reached there 

 were happy indications that the pestilence had passed its culmination 

 and was uncjuestionably abating. The number of cases reported 

 declined daily, until by the end of the month the normal rate had 

 been reached, and the epidemic had ceased. 



This sketch would not be complete without allusion to a method 

 of disinfection novel in its method, and unusual in its magnitude. 

 Although the trouble appeared to have passed, a return was still 

 feared, and it was determined to attempt the disinfection of the reser- 

 voir. To this end, it was completely emptied, and a solution com- 

 posed of eighty-five pounds of liquid bromine, dissolved in twelve 



