The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-08-07
COLD WATER IN TYPHOID.
HOW LOCAL DOCTORS FIGHT
MICROBES.
Plain Facts That All Should Bear
in Mind to Prevent
Illness.

The prevalence Of typhoid fever in
Sacramento to-day furnishes a fine OBJ
ject lesson illustrative of the difference
between the old methods of treating
the disease and the modern system.
Waiting the question as to how the
disease originates but bearing in mind
that all the doctors say it comes direct
ly or indirectly from drinking water,
let it be supposed that a man %
years of age is taken with typhoid fe
Yer in Sacramento to-day. This age is
taken because all the authorities agree
that typhoid is seldom seen in persons
| under 10 or over 30 years of age. The
patient may get the disease suddenly,
though this is rare. 1t is generally
quite slow and imperceptible in its de-
velopment, being heralded by that feel
ing OF WEAKNESS known as malaise.
There will be headaches, a Slight ach-
| ing pain in the legs or back. The pulse
will be increased, and there will be a
very gradual rise of the temperature.
This can only be detected by Their
| mometer known as a clinical thermom-
eter, which every person should own.
Well, the temperature gradually rises,
and the patient develops a thorough
| case of typhoid fever, with all its mad
| delirium, its wasting weeks of bed
| racked horrors. But hold! That was
| the old way. 1T is the purpose of this
article to tell Of the new treatment.
/ The sooner the doctor is called in the
better for the patient, if the doctor
| knows his business. The first thing he
| will do-and these ideas have been OBJ
tanned from the best physicians liz Sac
| ramento-Will be to put the patient to
| bed and keep him as quiet and comfort
| able as possible.
| Early in the disease he will put the
| sufferer on some such diet as matted
| milk, soft boiled eggs and semi-i1uid
| foods 1t is said that a nutritive diet
| of this character in the early stages Of
| the disease is of great value in keep
| ing up the general strength and vital
| ity.
| What is the next step? The patients
peculiarities will be carefully studied.
The main fight will be to keep the fe-
Yer to point as low as possible. In
| this disease there is a steady increase
| or the temperature, which is lower in
the morning than on the previous night
| but each morning shows an increase
over the temperature of the previous
| one, up to the time when the disease
reaches its climax.
The old way of combating the fever
| was with medicines alone. The result
| was that the death rate was anywhere
| from - to - per cent. in hospital prac-
| tice. Under the new treatment it has
been reduced to about or per cent
| in hospitals, and probably to = per
| cent. in private practice, and even to a
| lower rate in all cases where a skillful
| physician is called in early in the case
1t is almost impossible to obtain exact
! figures in these cases.
| The great feature in modern treat
ment is the scientific application of cold
to the body in such a way as to prevent
the rise of temperature to point much
in excess of 101 degrees, the normal
| temperature being slightly over 90 de-
| grees.
| Speaking Of this phase Of the case a
local doctor of high standing said a
| few days ago: TN a favorable case we
| put the patient to bed and diet him,
| fighting the fever down by the admins
| tration of prudent and usually small
doses of anti pyretics. We place him in
| an ice coil, made by wrapping rubber
tubes around MIN. Through these
tubes there is a flow of cold water He
1 will probably be sick for two or three
| weeks, but he will not have delirium,
| and often will hardly know that he is
| ILL.,"
| Now, coming to the causes of the dis
| ease, it is admitted by all authorities
on the subject that the bacilli or BAG
terra Of typhoid cause the disease These
| germs are at least the exciting cause,
but general weaknesses aid. Anything
| that runs down the system leaves it
| open to the invasion Of these germs
| Water is the one source Of danger
| THE water here is the cause of most of
the typhoid fever" said DR.. Briggs a
few days ago. land it is absolutely unfit
to drink until it has been thoroughly
| boiled and filtered
| 1t should be borne in mind that the
germs that cause typhoid fever make
| their home in the intestines when they
reach there, and that the annoyance ard
| sloughing caused by them result in the
| worst features of the disease. These
wonderful germs seem to have a vitality
| that resists frequent freezing and thaw-
ing, though they are killed when water
reaches a temperature of 40 degrees
| Fahrenheit. 1t will thus be seen that