NEWS: Epidemic of Typhoid Fever at Lewistown, 1918, Mifflin County, PA

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Special to the Tribune.
  Lewistown, August 14. - Walter W. Boyer, 30 years old, is dead here from 
typhoid fever, leaving a wife and three small children.  Mr. Boyer was the 
second trick telegraph operator for the Sunbury division at Lewistown 
Junction, and was very popular with his fellow employes.
  In addition to the one death from typhoid fever, nine additional cases have 
been reported in the borough.  Rev. George Josephs, the local health officer, 
says he has traced out the milk supply and finds that every family suffering 
from the disease is using milk from the same dairy.
  Dr. H. M. Smiley reported a case of infantile paralysis at the home of H. 
T. Peters, on Electric avenue, which is located in Derry township, just 
outside the borough limits.  Dr. Smiley says this is a plain case of the 
disease.  Two additional children in the same household are under close 
observation.  The health officer charges that physicians have been too 
careless in reporting cases of communicable disease and unless this defect is 
remedied there must be an epidemic.

Altoona Tribune, Thursday morning, August 15, 1918, page 6