222 
TYPHOID FEVEE IH DISTKICT OF COLUMBIA. 
Whereas the experience of the civilized world points to a contaminated water sup- 
ply as the most important factor in the causation of this disease; therefore be it 
Resolved, That we, the Civic Center of the City of Washington, a body composed of 
members who are working for the public good, most earnestly pray the Senate and 
House of Representatives in Congress assembled that you will create a commission 
* * * for the purpose of determining the present sources of contamination of the 
Potomac River, and the measures necessary to remedy, remove, and prevent such 
pollution, if found to exist. 
REPORT OF THE BACTERIOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF POTOMAC 
WATER FROM JULY 1, 1897, TO FEBRUARY 28, 1898, INCLUSIVE.^ 
[By Passed Assistant Surgeons J. J. Kinyoun and E. K. Sprague.] 
Passed Assistant Surgeon J. J. Kinyoun, director of the Hygienic 
Laboratory, and Passed Assistant Surgeon E. K. Sprague, of the 
Marine Hospital Service, made a systematic study of the bacteria 
in Potomac water during the period stated. 
Analyses of Potomac water were made semiweekly from a con- 
stantly flowing tap in the Hygienic Laboratory, using 20 cc. at each 
examination. To insure uniform results, a sufficient quantity of 
media was made in the beginning to last during the entire time. 
If the inoculations failed to produce organisms showing motility 
or fermentation, no further examination was made of that individual 
specimen. Those showing these characteristics were further studied 
and identified, Eisner’s medium being used to isolate the bacillus of 
typhoid fever and the colon bacillus. 
In no instance was the typhoid bacillus found, but on numerous 
occasions colon bacilli were isolated. The colon bacillus, with others 
of this group, were taken as an index of water pollution. 
Turbidity and bacteria were found to correspond fairly accurately, 
but it was very clearly shown that during the period of least tur- 
bidity and bacteria, the sewage organisms, especially colon bacilli, 
were relatively much more abundant. The percentage of times 
colon bacilli were found was December and January, 20 per cent; 
September and October, 70 per cent. 
Attention is called to the parallelism existing between the death rate from typhoid 
fever, the percentage of times colon was found, the fermentation, and the temperature 
curve; but at the same time that the above were high the number of organisms per 
cubic centimeter was low. 
The anserobic bacteria were present in greater numbers in pro- 
portion to the aerobic during the heated season than at any other 
season of the year, and as they are a fairly accurate index to the 
amount of sewage contamination the conclusion was drawn that 
from August to November the Potomac River is more dangerously 
polluted than during other seasons. During the late summer and 
early autumn there is less rainfall to wash nonpathogenic organisms 
« Annual Report, Marine Hospital Service, 1898. 
