The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1880-02-19
Spreading Typhoid Fever.

ONE OF the mOSC dangerous malduleS
which atflict humanity is typhoid fever.
Its prevalence and fatality in this. coun-
try, and the fact that no class or condi-
ton is exempt from its ravages, are
known to all. 1t enters the palace and
howell, and claims among its victims the
rich and the poor, the old and the young.
No human agency can prevent its in
sidious approach; and the fact that no
household can be entirely exempt from
it, is startling enough to awaken uni
versal interest in regard to the nature
of the disease and the laws which gov
ern it. .'-
A leading English publication re,
Gently contained very able treatise on
the subject, of which we find a careful
abridgment in the February number
of the Popular Science Monthly, from
the pen of DIR. T. J. Maclagan. There
is so much ignorance among the mass
es in regard to the disease, and so
much that ought to be known by all
who are brought in contact with it,
that brief statement of the material
facts embodied in the article may be
found useful, and may even result in
preventing much suffering if not in
saving life. * 20 90
The article opens. With TIA statement
that not less than 200, 900 people sdner
from typhoid fever every year in Great
Britain alone, and of these nearly 20, 600
die-most Of them in the pfimeof lifgs
The disease belongs to the GROUP knows
as eruptive fevers,N which hclude
smallpox, Styphus fever. icarlSt< feYS4
and measles. Each is characterized by
fever, and local Inflammation or erup-
ton. During the diseases the poison is
largely repr0dpced in the system, epd
may be transmitted -frbm the lsick to
the healthy. There are several meth
DDS by which these diseases are trans
mitted, but we shall only speak of the
one immediately in hapd. s,s .
Doctor Maclagah essttpbddl h.
yer as infectious, but not contagious.
An infectious disease is one which may
be conveyed in articles of clothinSs d
linen, in food, in water, etc. When d
disease is produced by personal con.
tact with one suffering from it, and the
danger Of catching It increases IMith
the closeness and intimacy of such
contact, it is called contagious.
i ssspt g s;asst h Infection ssSs
as indirect contagion." It is important
to bear this distinction in mind, be.
cause disease may be infectious with.
out being contagious-and this, It r
contended, is the case e., with typhoid
fever. e VI
The poison ot,aa; ersptFve fe BON.
sists of an organism or parasite Which
flourishes, net in any psftz9t-Nhe tply;
but only in some particular organ u
tissue, which is called the indus, OF
nest of the parasite. The seat ID
typhoid fever is in the glands of the In
testine, and outside Of that habitat il
ceases to be reproduced. Hence The
disease consists of fever and of ulcera.
ton of the bowel. Unlike the poison
germs which are thrown off into the
air from smallpox and ,scarlet-fevel
patients, and which are, highly con
tagious, those of typhoid fever arr
propagated in the bowel and thrown of
in discharges from it, in such manner
as to insure its speedy removal from
the neighborhood of the sufferer. Thu
typhoid germs are there, but they Cal
be SO disposed Of as to prevent thei
mingling with the atmosphere. Tn
danger, therefore, is not contact will
the sufferer, but from his stools. /
these are properly disposed of the dis
ease can scarcely spread. But If the,
are thrown into drains without perfet
traps, carelessly cast upon the ground
! or deposited where the germs may f1oa
into the air or percolate through th
! soil into the drinking water, then on
case OF fever may give, rise to man
others. The communication of the dis
I ease is not direct, BY contact; it 10 ind
T rect, by infection of drinking water, q
: of an atmosphere which may be remot
from the person who is the source {
the poison.
r If this view of the nature of the di,
{ ease and the means of communication
It be cOrrect-and It certainly seeyy