Typhoid Poison from a Well.  -- in a report of the American public health Association, Dr. Austin Flynn gives an account of an outbreak of typhoid fever in Vermont which it was possible to trace, in the most circumstantial way, to the poisoning of a well in some such method as has been described.  The young man traveling through the region by stagecoach was taken ill, and, when he could go no further, was left in a tavern and a little hamlet to be cared for, his illness soon proved to be typhoid fever.  A small watercourse, a shallow valley, by the village into two portions, each of which consisted of half a dozen houses or less.  In a few days new cases of the fever made their appearance in that part of the hamlet which the tavern along -- every house, in fact, but one was invaded with this disease -- whilst on the other side of the stream not a case occurred.  It appears that the tavern well, which was the only one up on that side of the village, furnish the water supply to all the families belonging there but one.  That one family had had a quarrel with the landlord of the hotel, and consequently deserted the tavern well for a more distant supply of drinking water, and so escape swallowing the specific poison of typhoid fever in the water by which all their neighbors were stricken down.

 

In case you're wondering, typhoid fever is spread by people that shed typhoid bacteria area this can happen when they handle food or drinking water that other people consume, or when the bacteria is exhausted into a sewage system that contaminate the water supply.  So it is possible that the people that became sick from typhoid fever in this example, became sick from close proximity with a very sick traveler, in addition to the pollution of that traveler with the water supply.  We rarely think of these problems today when we book time in las vegas suites or at a beech cottage, but the bacteria could still be propogated by people handling food. This is one of the prime reasons why people should wash their hands. Due to water treatment procedures, we are currently fortunate to have less exposure to contaminated drinking water, however when sewer lines break in coastal areas and people swim in the ocean near these breaks, the risk could go up.

It is also very interesting to note, that in this passage a health association that Dr. Flynn worked with was noted as opposed to just a name.  This is a distinct improvement, and I think the first time it has occurred in 158 pages!

Additional Articles from the Book of Medicine:

• How Lead Poisons Water
  
  

  How Lead Poisons Water. — when pure water recently boiled is placed in, or run over, lead, no action takes place; but if the water, after being boiled, is exposed for a short time to the air, from which it absorbs oxygen and carbonic acid, and is then brought in contact with lead, we soon find a whitish film, which on chemical examination is found to be composed of a carbonate of lead, is formed upon the metallic surface. This whitish film, which easily separates from the lead on which it appears and becomes mechanically mixed with water, is very poisonous. Since as already mentioned, Rainwater contains usually some nitric acid, in addition to the oxygen and carbonic acid which it absorbs from the air, and this nitric acid combines with lead to form a very soluble in poisonous nitrate of lead, it is much more dangerous than even purer. Water, after standing for a short time in contact with a leaden surface. Rainwater intended for drinking or cooking purposes ought, therefore, never to be collected from lead or tin roofs, transmitted through lead pipes, nor under any circumstances stored in lead lined cisterns of any kind.

   

  Years back poisoning from lead was possible from industrial run off, from pain, and from many many sources.  Today, we have exposure to other chemicals but lead poisoning exposure has dropped somewhat as we use lead free gas, lead free paint and as we endeavor even to go fiber optic with HDMI cables and other silicon based conductors.

• Why is it that Disease Spreads?
  
  

  Why is it that disease spreads?-It has been found by scientists that certain definitive living bodies (germs) are the cause of certain diseases, such as tuberculosis, smallpox, typhoid fever, diphtheria, etc.; and other diseases must be caused by other undiscovered bodies, which will some day be known.  These minute living bodies are active and give off poisonous material which destroys the tissues, organs, etc. of the body.  When a person is ill, these germs are being continually thrown off in the waste materials of the body, in the spittle, bowel movements, sweat, saliva, urine, et cetera.  If these products of disease are allowed to remain in a vessel, the carpets, floor, soil, etc., they dry and in the form of dust are blown about in here at the house, street or country road.  If they come in contact with clothing or household furniture, they can be carried.  Should a nurse or attendant upon a case be careless about disinfecting the hands are closing during or after the management of a contagious disease, he or she can become a common carrier by touching food, dishes, clothing, etc., used by other members of the family.

  Water is a common carrier of disease, particularly typhoid fever, cholera, etc.  Therefore to prevent the spread of disease every farmer, dairy man, occupant of a dwelling, factory, citizens of villages, cities and states, should see that they have a clean water supply free from germs and not contaminated by dirty water or refuse from a toilet, a pen, stable, etc.., which might contain germs carry from a patient or animal suffering from any of the contagious disease is.  One case of typhoid fever along the edge of a mountain stream, carelessly managed, thus permitting bowel movements to be thrown into or washed into the stream by rain, pelting snow, etc., could cause an epidemic in every village which received its water supply from that stream or the reverence which it empty.

  Milk can be a common carrier of disease, such as tuberculosis, typhoid fever, scarlet fever, measles, diphtheria, etc.  Most states however, have protected the supply of milk by the enactment of laws covering the inspection of cattle, the erection of well lighted, clean and ventilated dairies, boiling and sterilization of all utensils used in its handling, even the wearing of sterile grounds by the milkers and attendants, cleansing of the cows utters before and after milking incurring and brushing the cattle and covering them with light blanket.  Milk should be kept it even temperatures after being placed in sterile can prevent the formation of germs which will develop even in transit to the consumer in the country or by train or in the milk bottles prior to delivery.  Railroads are compelled in some states, and should be in all states, to furnish refrigerator cans with highs and the dealers in the city should particularly during the warm weather, have a refrigerator or eyes in the delivery wagons to maintain an even temperature for all milk delivered.

  There are some interesting concepts within the section some of these actually seem somewhat practical and you can get a sense of the evolution of thought and care that was starting to go into the maintenance of water supplies and especially the concept of moving milk producing milk and transmitting or delivering it logistically across long distances as people lived more in cities and away from the country away from the source of the actual cattle delivering the milk.

  Its also somewhat surprising that as early as one hundred years ago they were concerned with milkers wearing sterile clothing.  I have a mental image in my head of kids going out to milk the cow each morning for milk and parents that had little regard for the sterility of children’s clothes as long as they did not spoil their Sunday clothes.

• Choose a Better Life Health Blog
  
  

  Last night I had dinner with a gentleman from iContact.  He mentioned that his wife had been writing about her effort to change her life, live healthier, eat healthier and lose weight. 

  She has been very successful at achieving her goals.  You can follow some of her journey, her experiences, and benefit from her tips and lessons learned at ChooseABetterLife.net.

  I’m hoping to meet more health related bloggers today and as soon as I can find one of my missing cufflinks, I’m off to meet up with people for a couple pre-show breakfast get togethers.