153 
Of the 103 cases considered as undoubtedly having contracted the 
infection outside of the District of Columbia, 73 were treated at hos- 
pital; and of the 20 cases considered as almost certainly having con- 
tracted the infection outside of the District of Columbia, 12 were 
treated at hospital. Of these 85 imported cases treated at hospital, 
56 were brought from places out of the District of Columbia and sent 
directly to hospital, and 29 were sent to hospital after being treated 
at private residences in the District of Columbia, as follows : 
At private residence : Cases. 
One day 3 
Two days 7 
Three days 4 
Four days.. 2 
Five days 3 
Six days 4 
Seven days 2 
Eight days 2 
Eighteen days 1 
Nineteen days 1 
Total 29 
In 1908, as in 1907 and in 1906, the good proportion of cases cared 
for at hospitals was one of the most encouraging featmes met with 
in our investigation of the t}^hoid fever situation in Washington. 
The facilities for preventing the spread of infection from t}’phoid 
fever patients are much better at hospitals than they are in. the vast 
majority of instances at private homes, and we believe in the light of 
the present knowledge of the subject that it would be entirely justi- 
fiable to make provision for and require all typhoid fever patients at 
whose homes the necessary prophylactic measmes are not or can not 
be carried out to be sent to hospital for treatment. 
Of the 340 cases cared for at private residences, 98 during a part or 
the whole of their illness were attended by professional nmses. The 
treatment of stools and urine with disinfectants was considered 
efficient for 152 cases, inefficient for 146, of doubtful efficiency for 38, 
and method not ascertained for 4. 
Of the 146 patients whose stools and urine were inefficiently 
treated, no attempt was made at disinfection for 46; the treatment 
was inefficient on account of the small quantity of disinfectant used 
for 70; on account of the shortness of time of exposure of excreta to 
disinfectant for 30. 
Fpr 38 of the patients the treatment of stools and urine was con- 
sidered of doubtful efficiency because the agent used for accomplish- 
ing the disinfection was of doubtful value. In some instances a little 
powdered air-slaked lime was sprinkled over the stools and disinfec- 
tion expected. In more frequent instances some patented and widely 
advertised preparation was relied upon as a disinfectant, although 
such preparations are readily proved by laboratory experiments to 
