The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-03-24
TYPHOID FEVER.

TYPHOID FEVER.
HOW WE MAY ESCAPE THIS FEARFUL
MALADY.
Practical Hints Which are Of Great
| Value to Every Citizen. -.
| tRichnaond Sanito1y Nonuor.l
Typhoid fever is the cause of so many thou,
md deaths in all parts OF our country, that u
knowledge of some Of the factors In its pro-
duction, and how 10 escape them, cannot fail
to be of especial interest to everyone. Atten-
tiun Is therefore invited to the following ao-
stract OF recent "preventive disease circu-
! lar" from the Micfiean State Board of Health,
OF which DIR. II. B. Baker ID the interchangeable
secretary: .t.-..
fatally in about one case out OF eight or ten.
From the data Mt hand it Is estimated that the
number OF deaths which actually occur IN that
sand every year, and that the number Of per-
sons sick with the disease Is eight or ten thou
sand annually. A large proportion OF the
sickness and mortality can be, and ought to-
The greatest mortality from this disease Is
among persons in the prime Of life. and this
should prompt to- greater efforts for It's pre-
ventlon. Persons of all ages have II, and even
though they have It, in many instances, III 9
mild form, yet they may be the medium OF
communicating the disease In q fatal form "
others; for, while 1t Is not one OF the most
contagious diseases, typhoid fever is believed
| to be a communicable disease Many authori-
ties believe it to be caused by special geImi
and nearly al agree that the poison, whether
specific or not, may be conveyed to other per-
sons by drinking water contaminated by disi
charges from the bowels of person affected
with the disease, or by teachings from thg
bodies Of those who huye died OF typhoid
| fever. ' i-
MODE OF coMMUSIcArIoS. .-.l
Experience seems to prove that, with GER
tain precautions, attendants upon those SICK
with typhoid fever are not in danger OF con-
tracting this disease directly from The patient.
Water chemically impure does not necessari-
| ly cause the disease; but drinking water con-
phoid feyer patient Is believed to be the most
common source or vehicle Of typhoid fever.
While the possibility Of its originating in 9th.
Is not aenea the sreets
and unmistakabiy to a contaminated water
supply seem to point to this us the ehie3
10 milk diluted with infected pump water.
and apparently in some cases TO eInanations
from sewers and cesspools. 1t seems TO pre-
vail most In times Of drought. In the autumn.
especially after Il period of high temperature,
and when the 1Udter IN 7UeHs ts ioW ana fts con,
tan1inations most concentrated. Filth and bad
sanitary condition OF premises genera!iy,
probably increase the danger Of spreading the
disease. Typhoid fever has been called
| filth disease" ...s
PROTECT THE wATER-sUPPLY. -."
The most scrupulous care should be taken
TO keep the present sources OF drinking-water
pure, and to procure future supplies only from
clean sources. The general water-supply OF
cities and villages Is a matter Of the greatest
a aIon no
where there cah be no probability OF 1mmedl-
ate or remote contamination. 1t Is only nee,
essary to refer to the plymouth Epidemic"
tn show how great calamity may the foulinx
of general water-supply by the discharges OF
person sick with typhoid fever. In the abb
sonce OF q general water-suppy, much may
OF cess-pits and privy-vaults, by the use Of
dry earth In privies and by the frequent re-
moval therefrom Of all their contents. Priv
les often drain into wells or springs, unsuss
pcctcd by those who use the water. Should
the bowel discharges of typhoid patient pass
into such q privy an outbreak Of the disease
among those using the water from neighbor-
ing well or spring would be likely TO occur.
The use of water from source likely to be In.
fected with the bowel discharges OF typhoid
fever patient should be promptly stopped,
and great care should also be given TO the
milk supply.
There is good reason to suspect the water OF
O well whenever a privy-vault Is situated
within one hundred feet of 1t, particularly II
| tile SOIL porous. LII lust tthnSeS
fluids from such a place have leached into
wells ut much greater distances; and 1t has
been proved that well four hundred ana
ninety five feet from cemetery received va
| ter which had filtered through the soil OF the
cemetery.
DO not drink water which has bad taste or
odor, or which comes from source tnat ren-
ders it liable to be impure, especially II there
is reason to believe that It may contain some.
thing derived from person sick vii n typhoid
fever The fact that water is clear Is no proof
of its purity, for contaminated water may be,
and often il, found to be clear ana cOlorless,
and to have no bad TASTE
D1sINFECrIoN.
Because the bowel discharges are believed
to acquire more virulent properties, after
few days, particularly when thrown. without
disinfection, into privy-Vault or otber recep-
tacle for decomposing filth, these eVacuatlons
should in all cases be received upon paper or
cloths and promptly burned, or be receive IN
vessels and thoroughly disintected by adding
to each discharge from the bowels one quart
of solution or chloride Of lime OF the foliow-
Ing strength: Four ounces OF chiorlde o! HIne
| to one gallon of water. In country districts,
where the privy Is not far distant from well,
the discharges should not be thrown into the
privy-vault, but after being disin1ecled, tney
should be carried Il greater distance rom any
source OF drinking water, anu then covered
with earth. .
Rags, closet paper or other similar material
i used about the patient should be Immediately
ETC.. on removal from the the patient, should
| be placed In bOiling-lOt zinc solution, mace
In proportions as follows: Water, one gallon;
suIphate Of zinc, four ounces; common sail;
! two ounces. Soiled clothing should, IN an
cases. be disintected before sending. to the
laundry, by, boiling at least half an hour III
the ''zinc solution ~
Bodies of those dead from typhoid fever
should be wrapped in q cloth wet WIN Inc
"chloride Of line solution or with the zine
solution" Uhe latter being double the strength
N cpd fOrS pl
After O death or recovery from this disease,
the room in which there has heen case OIL
! typhoid fever should, with all It's contents, DC
thoroughly fllmigatcd lor twenty.iour hours
with burning ulphur, using at least tnree
pounds of sulphur for room ten jeet square.
| rooms to be dsinfected by sulphurous fumes
must be vacated
BOIL THE DRINKING-wATER.
Immediately on the appearance of typhoid
fever n careful, examination should be made
! of the surroundings Of the house, and partlc-
| ularly of the source Of the wafer used, TO de-
| tcrmine, If possible, whether it has been con-
| tnminated by teachings from privies or other
sources of fifth. Ii the sick person has been
at home, and not away whore the disease
might he contracted, ii will be safest that the
waller intended for drinking or ulluary puf-
noses be boiled before using. 1t Is believed
| that thorough boiling will destroy the germs
or poison OF the disease. Ordinary nlterlne
| will not do.
| Perfect cleanliness of nurses and attendants
should be enjoined and secured. As thc
hands of nurses may become contaminated
hv the poison of the disease, good supply OF
| towels water, and the dislntcctant solutions
before mentioned, should always be at hand,
and freely used.