PAPERS ON MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH 409 



privies, meaning a privy for almost every house in that 

 territory, and there were 236 wells within 100 feet of the 

 privy. There are a negligable number of privies ade- 

 quately protected and screened. In the region of Silver 

 Creek, some of the filthiest privies are used by both 

 whites and negroes, and many of these privies are within 

 25 feet of the stream. There is a decided indication of 

 infection of the drinking water in such districts. In 1918 

 there were 32 cases of typhoid fever ; in 1919, -46 cases ; 

 and most of these cases were found in the seventh ward, 

 an area where there is an inadequate city water supply. 

 Within 25 feet of Silver Creek is a well used by three 

 families for drinking water. Two ladies, living at the 

 foot of the slope to Silver Creek, complained of ."being 

 ailing all winter". It was found that all their drinking 

 water came from a shallow well at the foot of the slope 

 on which there were a number of houses and privies. 

 Three wells taken at random in this region were tested 

 and found to show the presence of the colon bacillus. 



Rubbish and Garbage. In the main business district 

 of the city the alleys are in a deplorable condition. One, 

 which lies back of some very sanitary appearing food 

 stores, extends east from Seminary Street, and is full 

 of refuse and debris. Xo garbage cans are used, and the 

 decaying food and vegetables are thrown out to the flies 

 and rodents. A privy was moved recently but the vault 

 was not cleaned out and an old box was thrown over the 

 contents. The alley south of the Main Street business 

 houses, between Prairie and Kellogg Streets, is filled with 

 ashes, garbage, boxes and other refuse. On north West 

 Street, near Silver Creek, are several barns beside which 

 the manure is piled nearly as high as the buildings. A 

 block from Cedar Fork is a large horse and mule ex- 

 change from which the manure is not hauled daily. The 

 exchange is not screened. There is opportunity here for 

 the breeding of flies on a large scale which could have 

 easy access to the open sewer not a block away, and this 

 might result in an epidemic of flyborn disease. 



On the corner of Seminary and Simmonds Streets, at 

 the rear of a large and well equipped grocery store, is a 

 fenced-in area where garbage and rubbish are thrown, 



