Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-07-07
VACATION DANGERS.
Summer Outings Often Lay the Foun-
dations for Fevers and Dread Dis
eases.

Too often people return from their
summer vacation by the seashore or
among the mountains with a good at
tack of malaria or typhoid fever,
which they have to combat all win
ter long. and others merely feel a gem
cral weakness and laSsitude that is
difficult to assign any reason for. The
fact is the summer vacation does a
great amount of harm in thousands of
cases simply through the ignorance Of
those who have the right to insist
upon good sanitary surroundings and
through the carelessness of those who
make business of entertaining city
people in hot weather. Children in
particular suffer in summer through
the carelesSness of parents and
guardians. and it seems strange to
some that they do not recuperate and
build up in the country. Fine as the
country air is for us and beneficial
as a change of any kind may be in
stimulating our mind and body to
better work, they do not offset I'M
sanitary surroundings OF carelessness
in looking after the general health
The old danger from typhoid fever
summer places and the ambitious
town or village by the sea or among
the mountains is now pretty sure to
secure supply of good drinking
water that cannot positively poison
summer visitors. This conquest Of
typhoid actually saves hundreds of
lives every season in every city TIL.
professional summer resorts make a
speciality Of their drinking water. for
they know that city people emphasize
this attraction of the place more than
anything else. Let it be understood
that typhoid is prevalent in a summer
resort and its death knell would be
sounded. Still the isolated farm or
country hotel. which cannot get its
water supply from large system. may
contain the very danger that is so
much dreaded. and one cannot be too
careful in inquiring about the water
before taking up the abode there. Per-
sonal examination of the loca ton Of
the water supply, and the natural
drainage of the land. should be made.
II the drainage is from the hillsides
down toward the house or hotel. some
thing should be known about the
OF stables or cesspools of other houses
on higher ground flow toward the
place one might accept the conditions
as rather threatening, and it would be
wise to avoid such a place
Next to typhoid the ordinary maIariaI
fevers are the most to be dreaded Tho
conditions which produce malarial fevcrs
are varied. and they are not as well nm
derstood as the medical profession would
IKE The theory that malaria is first
communicated to the system by the bite
OF mosquitoes should not deter us from
insisting upon clean, dry, high locations
Tor our living place. Quiet. Stagnant wa
yer Is unhealthful and a breeder of mos
iulloeS, lies. gnatS and hosts of small
insects ana disease germs. Our health is
daily threatened by the presence of such
pools and ponds. Because they are dig
pectuses. do not he deceived into the idea
that they are any less inimical to our
health. But 1t IS not only the stagnant
pond or pool that should be looked after.
but the house drains as well. Here IN
many cases diseases are bred in the dark
ness under the piazza, cellar or old well
There may be a closed cesspool or an old
drain that collects water and filth all
through the summer. Poisonous germs
of all kinds breed there in riotous indie
pendenc. and break out later in the most
violent form.
The trouble with many of these dis
eases which we contract in summer is
that they often do not manifest them
selves at once We could leave the sum
rer resort and seek healthier location
But in too many cases We appear to be
perfectly well through the summer and
enjoy the best of health and do not
break down until fall. 4 variety of
causes may contribute to this one is
that our health is good. and we are able
to withstand the attacks of the germs
Ii is only when We return to the city and
become deeply immersed in business that
the attack comes on. Through some
strain, worry or business anxiety we