470 



TYPHOID FEVER 



this way, but that did not explain the cause of the other cases, so 

 the investigation continued. 



The water supply of most cities is constantly tested for bacillus 

 coli, a microorganism found in all human intestines. If the 



1 bacilli coli 



1961 



96T 



5 



n 



CIVIL. 



SPANISH - 



are 



present, there is 

 the likelihood of 

 typhoid also being 

 present. The 

 water of many 

 cities is chlorinated 

 and this results in 

 purification. The 



A surgeon general of the U. S. Army has compared the death bacilli Coli are 

 rates of men treated in hospitals for typhoid, during the first two . , , 



years of three different wars. The diagram indicates the number practically never 



present in water 



which is thoroughly chlorinated. Since the water supply was 

 chlorinated, it could not have been responsible for this epidemic. 



The milk supply was investigated and nothing definite was 

 found. The investigators paid particular attention to milk, 

 because in 1913, before pasteurization, an infected milk supply was 

 responsible for 521 cases and 61 deaths from typhoid. Ice 

 cream, water ices, and bottled water supplies were investigated. 

 Again there was no evidence of infection. Uncooked foods, par- 

 ticularly lettuce and celery, were scrutinized with care. No 

 worthwhile evidence was revealed there. 



The first bit of evidence was that a great number of the re- 

 maining cases gave a history of having eaten oysters approxi- 

 mately two weeks before the onset of the symptoms. Fifty-five 

 per cent or 506 cases gave a definite history of having eaten 

 oysters. In April, 1915, a similar condition had existed. In an 

 outbreak of 150 cases, 80 per cent seemed to be due to the use 

 of raw oysters. Even when oysters are grown in clean, unin- 



