The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-02-02
Prominence They Have as Car
TiRTS Of Disease.
IN THE SAME CLASS WITH WATER
Full Discussion of Camp HygIe ne
Lessons of Campaign-Paper
BY an Expert.
medical Record, Jan. -

tMeOlCdI record, Jan. -
BY VI. A Veeder. MID. Buffalo. y. y.
Dec. IA, 1898.
The diseases that may be borne in
water under some circumstances, and
by flies under others, are typhoid fe-
yer, yellow fever, certain forms of dys-
EMERY, Asiatic cholera, and perhaps
malarial fever, and malarial poisoning
in general.
1t will be observed that there are
two classes of these diSeases-the in
teStinal and the malarial. In the for
mer the infection is a bacillus of some
sort, whose presence in any locality
can always be traced 10 some preced-
ing contamination by eXcretions from
a diseased bowel. In the latter the
source of infection is a plasmodium.
as it is termed, which lives primarily
in marshy soil or stagnant water. and
whose presence in that location is in
dependent of contamination from hui
man sources. These distinctions are
to be kept in mind constantly in at
tempting TO trace out the manner in
which these diseases spread, and in
adopting measures for their proven
ton.
All are most emphaticaIly camp dis
eases, and hence the propriety of their
discussion at a meeting devoted to the
subject of camp hygiene There is
greater need of such discussion. be
cause the relative Importance OF flies
and water-supply in spreading disease
has been greatly misunderstood. espe-
cially in the very case of camps. where
the danger is greatest.
Contrary TO ideas that have existed
/ heretofore, in camp and under similar
conditions elsewhere intestinal dis
eases are spread almost exclusively by
flies, and malarial diseases by water.
The exceptions to this, which are re-
! latively unimportant, will be noted in
the course of the discussion.
In the Cuban campaign last summer
ii was sought to prevent the spread of
diseases of the intestinal class by the
use of water from the purest sources.
or purified by boiling. 1t was a fail
ure. Not until late in the summer was
the agency Of flies taken into the ac-
count in any practical way. Even now
reports from Honolulu and Manila
state typhoid is still epidemic among
the soldiers in those localities. showing
that adequate measures of prevention
have not yet been perfected. Likewise
during the recent British campaign in
Fashoda, which was most carefully
planned, and which took place in a
climate that is exceptionally dry and
hygienic. there was no abatement of
| typhoid fever. it continuing TO be the
chief scourge of the army.
Nevertheless, diseases of the typhoid
type can be prevented with almost alb
solute certainty. and malarial diseases
/ greatly abated, in both instances by
I very simple measures. 1t is only neces-
sary that those most concerned should
think it worth while to understand the
matter and act accordingly.
I II is not possible to enter very much
/ into detail in brief summary OF re-
suits such as the present. Suffice it 70
say that in the performance of his du-
/ ties as health officer and practising
physician, the writer has been able
TO put an end to epidamics of typhoid
/ fever and dysentery of the exact type
/ that prevail in the army. in such man
ner as to warrant the belief that the
problem of their prevention has been
solved completely.
/ For example, the outbreak of mlIig-
nant dysentery mentioned in my paper
at the recent meeting of the American
| Public Health Association was en-
countered when at its height, there
having been forty cases and ten deaths
and the disease spreading rapidly from
! house to house in a single neighbor-
hood. As soon as such measures were
adopted as would make conveyance OF
the infection by flies impossible, there
was not another new case. although
there had been fresh ones every DAY
for some time previously. In like man
ner the past summer a lively epidemic
OF typhoid fever was ended in q day
by measures directed against convey.
ance by flies. SO. too. on the malaria
side OF the question, there has beer
prevention without the aid OF quinine
by measures directed against convey.
ance by water.
IL is true that under such circum
stances the poison of intestinal dis
eases may find its way into water ant
be thus conveyed, and that the poison
of malaria may be taken up and car
ried by mosquitoes or flies, as the cas-,
may be. Hence it is necessary TO dis
criminate carefully in reference TO tn
peculiarities attending these differen