The evening times., 1896-10-20
TYPHOID FEVER STATISTICS
Msdical Men Only Required o
Report Fatal Cases.
TALK WITH A PHYSICIAN
1t Is Stated That the Disease Is Tn
usually Prevalent in Certain Sec
tions of the City-The Precautions
That Should BE Observed-Deputy
Health Officers Comment.


fever cases i'll the southwestern sections OF
the city. They say it is prevalent TO a
greater extent this fall than it usually is at
this time OF the year.
As there is no rule of the health office
requiring physicians to report such cases,
except when Geath occurs, no accurate data
can be obtained. These localities contigu-
ons 10 marshes and lowlands appear to be
more generally infected
NO TRACE OF IT.
Referring to the existence of t Uphold fever,
physician of long experience said:
lit is one of the inost widel y-distnbuted
Of the Infectious diseases. Although met
with in the winter aud spring months it is
more frequent in the late summer and fan
months. II is more likely TO prevail after
hot and dry suinmers. 1t is not contagious
i'll tie ordinary sense of the term.
The chief source OF infection is from con-
taminated water supplies. Many severe
epdenics have been traced to polluted watr
Infected milk is also frequent mode OF
onveyance OF The poison. The milk may
become infected by the water with which it
has been diluted, or which has been used
TO cleanse the cans.
Many cases have occurred in which the
disease cuuih not be traced. The poison or
germ enters the system by way of the i'll
testinal track. The exact mode of their
action after admission to the Intestine is as
yet indeicrninate. The presence OF a
catarrhal state OF the intestincs at the
time of admission of the poison to the
bowels may play an important part in de-
terIninipg the occurrence OF Infection by the
germ
"Typhoid fever is TO a large extent
preventable disease. AS 1t is produced by
a specific poison or germ. these germs
Should be destroyed wherever known to
exist and every precaution adopted to pre-
vent its admission to tue system. In each
case OF typhoid fever the faecal discharges
which contain the poison or germ in abun-
dance, should be thoroughly disinfected
and properly disposed Of.
Attention must also be given to the
disinfection OF the linen OF the sick, the
bed clothing, the bedding. and the furniture
OF the sick room. In seeking to prevent
extension OF the disease it is essential
to make Il careful search for the source or
infection in each individual case. Careful
inquiry should ne made of the drinking water
and milk supply.
In large ciues 1t is extremely dnrcult
to follow up the investigation: neverthe-
less, good results are obtained when de-
fects leading to the contamination OF these
necessary articles Of universal consumption
are detected and future trouble averted by
their correction. While defects in drainage
and house sewerage are not slikely 10 lead
10 this as some other infections, yet ii may
be accepted as dana Ginc testimony against
the drainage and sewerage when typhoid
fever is habitually prevalent to a greater
or less degree"
COULD BE STAMPED OUT.
Referring to infectious diseases, including
scarlet fever. diphtheria, smallpox, typhoid
fever, typhus and cholera, the physician
added:
1T is believed by saDitarians that most
infectious aud contagious diseases could
be stamped out completely could mankind
be induced to live up to the light " hich we
now possess concerning their nature. Ty-
phuid fever. cholera, dysentery. have their
special poisoDs in the discharges from the
patients bowels, which are disseminated
in drinking water. Parasitic diseases are
obtained from food aud drinks and by
actual contact of healthy person ith one
diseased.
"As rule, the cleanly, tempcTate' well
fed and weli-housed suffer less from these
diseases than do the ill-fed, Incorporate,
ill-c,othed. overworked and ill-ioused, but
this is not always so. The Incorporate GER
tanly suffer more than others. Persons
who are in rundown and exhausted
state of body are more liable than Others to
have the germs OF disease take root in their
bodies. Typhoid fever especially attacks
those in vigorous life.
''It is hardly necessary to say that in all
contagious diseases the patient should be
under the care of skilled physician
Deputy Health officer Mclean replied,
when asked about typhoid fever, statistics
that they were a scarce article at the
health office, as physicians are only required
to report those cases which prove fatal.