The Fever Mystery in North Yakima
Local doctors clash with state officials over whether an outbreak is malaria or typhoid fever.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The state board of health is in North Yakima making an examination to determine whether there is an epidemic of typhoid fever. Those in charge are Dr. Elmer E. Heg, secretary of the board; Dr. Charles Ford, of the marine corps; and Dr. Semple of Spokane. A peculiar situation exists; physicians are about equally divided. The older physicians claim the fever is malaria caused by irrigation and the stirring up of new land, while newer physicians are confident that nine-tenths of the cases are typhoid. To settle the matter, local doctors petitioned the state board. While some fear the city water is contaminated, others trace the infections to well water, ditch water, fruit, butter, milk, or vegetables.
“The physicians are about equally divided on the question. All the old physicians say the fever is nothing but malaria... while the new physicians are confident in their declaration that the fever in nine-tenth of the cases is typhoid.”
This 1903 debate captures a pivotal moment in public health as germ theory challenged traditional explanations for illness. The tension between local 'old guard' physicians and state inspectors over the safety of irrigation water mirrors later battles for clean water infrastructure in the Yakima Valley.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.