Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-12-16
Typhoid Fever.

The Ohio State Board of Health has
issued a circular on typhoid fever, the
chief points of which are contained in
the following extracts:
Typhoid fever, sometimes called ZEN
teric fever,n "fall fever" &c, Is a COM
mon disease of frequent occurrence In
our State. Ii is especially q disease OF
Young adult life. although no age is eX-
empt from il. 1t attacks all classes of
society, being found both i'm the man
sion and in the hovel, 1t is probably
the most preventable of all infectious
diseases, excepting, perhaps, smallpox,
since the introduction of general vac
cination. In view of this fact, and
that it is the cause of so much sickness
and death in the State, it is hoped the
following instructions for its restriction
and prevention will be carefully con-
sidered and followed by all who may
receive this document:
Typhoid fever is believed to be due
to specific cause, disease germ
given off by one sick with the disease,
and which may he transmitted to
Others i'm various ways. The poison is
usually received by drinking water
contaminated by discharges from ty-
phOid fever patient, which have been
thrown into vaults or faulty sewers,
which allow their cOntents to filter
through the ground into neighbOring
well or spring. 1t has been demon
strated that impurities may thus be
carried through porus soils for distances
of 100 feet or more. Severe outbreaks
of typhoid fever have occurred in cities
from the contamination in this way OF
the river from which the city derived
its water supply. Milk has frequently
conveyed the disease, either from being
diluted with water containing the ty-
phoid fever poison, or by being Kept in
a room in which there is one sick with
this disease; in the latter case the di-
sease germs are absorbed by the milk.
1t may be conveyed by clothing.
Laundresses, in washing such clothing,
have contracted the disease. In some
instances the poison seems to gain
access to the system by breathing it in.
Typhoid fever is communicable, but is
not considered contagious.
Immediately on the appearance of
typhoid fever, a careful examination
should be made of the surroundings of
the house, and particularly of the
source of the water supply, to deter
mine, if possible, whether 1t has been
contaminated from neighboring sources
of filth. If good reason is found to sus-
pect such contamination, the well or
spring should be boarded over, and the
water not be used until an examination
has been made by competent physi-
elan or health officer. 1t is the opinion
of the best authority that wells in thick
ly settled districts are nearly always
unfit for use, and that in cities having
other water supply they should be ell
tirely abandoned. If the sick person
has not been away from home, where
the disease might have been contracted,
it will be safest that the waterip use by
him Immediately before having been
taken sick should not be used again for
drinking nor culinary purposes, unless
it is boiled. 1t would be well, also, to
boil the milk used by the family. The
house ndpremises should be thoroughly
cleaned, all decaying animal and vege-
table matter removed, and sinks, cess
pools, vaults, &C., be treated with a
solution of copperas-two pounds OF
copperas to one gallon of water.