St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-02-11
NO TYPHUS FEVER IN MANI.
TORA

Dispatches from Winnipeg, extern
sively published, report the prevalence
at Grand Forks, N. D., and in the lower
portion of the province of Manitoba. of
an epidemic of typhus fever The dis
ease is no doubt severe afflictlon. but
is not, and cannot by any possibility be
typhus.
TyphuS is one OF the most contagious
and fatal of all epidemic diseases, but
there are certain conditions under
which it is impossible to propagate it.
1t was formerly known as ship fever.
and is today called by that name by the
professional to considerable ex-
tent. Its origin was on shipboard-
hence its name. Since its first discoy-
cry it has seldom existed outside of sea-
port cities, and then only in crowded
localities, where the atmosphere is
tainted with impurities emanating from
the human body. 1t is neither fatal nor
epidemic where there is an abundan CO
of fresh air. 1t is fire quently prOpa.
gated in the Steerage of ocean ships.
Many years ago it was exceedingly
fatal at all the East Indian seaports,
but did not invade the interior to any
considerable extent. A few cases have
developed occasionally III the crowd ed
tenement districts Of New York city
Aside from these sporadic cases the
disease has been unknown in the United
States, and unless its character ma
terlally changes-in which case it would
not be typhus fever-it cannot obtain a
toothold in any place remote from sea-
port or where the people can breathe
pure air.
There is a reprehensible practice
among some medical men to grossly ex-
aggerate the dangerous character of
certain diseases that manifest a con-
taglous or infectious character. Perhaps
some are Influenced by desire for a
great reputation in the treatment of
dangerous diseases, and purposely call
an ordinary malignant fever case of
typhus. They know that majority of
the people are ignorant as to the real
nature of typhus and the conditions
under which it may prevail. Perhaps
few are themselves ignorant on the
same point, although this might be re-
garded as violent supposition. 1t is
more charitable and credItaDle to pre-
sumo them guilty of an attempt to de-
ceive than of such ignorance. A good
purpose may be served, also, in alarm,
ing a community of the dangers to
which it may be subject by permitting
unsanitary conditions which may be
easily remedied, and which generally
are remedied in the face of the threat of
an invasion of epidemic. There is no
question but tens of thousands of lives
were saved in this country last year by
the cholera scare. The prevalence of
that disease in Europe and Asia led to
the general publication of all our large
! cities, and consequent diminution of
other epidemic and zymotic diseases
that would, in the nature of thin gs,
have carried off as many human beings
as the cholera ITSELF
No physician who values his own rep
utation will call the prevailing epidemic
in Manitoba typhus fever. That it is
an epidemic, and dangerous one at
that, does not admit of a doubt. 1t is
probably typhoid of severe type, in
duced by the impure water the settlers
are in the habit of using-a water rem
dered impure by the overfiows of the
Red river. 1t may be that the epidemic
in question will call the attention of the
public to the danger of the continued
use Of this water, and lead to efforts