The Saint Paul globe., 1900-02-18
MEDICAL NOTES.

The disposal ae sewerage water has
been the subject of study in Paris since
1864 and within a recent period the en-
gineers In charge of this work have ac-
complished the publication Of the Seine,
contaminated by sewer water from Paris,
by means of porus earth and vegetation,
passing the water through land under
cultivation and emptying it, thus filtered,
into the river again. comparatively free
from microbes or organic matter The
method is to let out land, owned by the
city, to individuals who cultivate vege-
tables upon the land thus enriched. In
sonce districts beets. potatoes and greens
are grown and it is expected that the
raising of cattle and dairy interests will
be feasible. Sewerage farming has. been
carried on in England with considerable
success and the objection raised against
it, that it might cause dissemina ton of
disease, has been proven fallaCious, those
who constantly work on the farms not
being attacked more than others by sew
erage diseases. The farms are divided by
open main and branch bitches, as for or
binary irrigation, and contact with the
air seems to have a disinfectant acton
perfected by percolation through the soil
exposing the material more freely to tfes
air. Aside from its economical adyan-
tages the method seems to have hygienic
advantages of the greatest Importance.
According to DR.. Goodhue. there are at
present l. 100 cases of leprosy In Hawaii.
The existence of this and other similar
diseases in these and other newly ac-
quired possessions or proteges Of the
United States will, no doubt. prevent
many Americans from locating in these
countries. but 1t does not prevent leprosy
and other diseases from coming to this
country. Dr. Montgomery states that
there Is a large number of lepers in San
Francisco not confined to the pesthouse,
and he fears there IS danger that that
section Of the country will become
leper-focus since the region west of the
rocky mountains not only receives i'm
migrants from outlaying leper countries.
but the disease seems to be capable OF
propagating itself in this country. With
increasing foreign trade and territory the
number of lepers coming to the Pacific
coast must also necessarily increase. The
natural remedy is the Segregation or de-
portation of the lepers already In the
country and minute examination of fmnli-
grants from leper-infected countries.
Goodhue recommends sending cases from
this country TO Hawaii.
In typhoid fever DIR. Maisden advocates
the use Of a more liberal diet In mild
cases, where there are no symptoms or
complications which would render such
a diet injurious, he gives bread and milk,
custard, fish with mashed potato, chick
en-, bread and butter, and finely minced
meat, continuing with this until conva-
lescence is well established. In severe
cases he restricts the diet to milk. pep
tonized If necessary, and meat juice, con-
tinuing this during the period of eonva-
lescence In this, as in all diseases, the
individual patient and his condition alone
should be considered, and slight increase
in temperature or occasional Irregular
ity of the bowels need not, per Sc, cause
a discontinuance Of the food, unless there
is q distinct causative connected influ-
ence. The wishes of the patient are an
important factor If he is hungry and
Graves more food, and examination proves
that this Is not morbid appetite, his
requests should be granted, but solid food
should never be forced upon the patient.
The grippe is not q modern disease.
DR.. Crawford says that Hippocrates re-
ferred to it, and that epidemics have been
more or less frequent since MS tune. 1t
is not confined in its activity to winter
weather or cold climates. and though
more common in winter. numerous cases
occur in the summer. 1t is believed that
one attack usually confers immunity,
which may last only several months or
for several years Every case should
be regarded as serious, and the patient
should be confined to bed until fever and
acute symptoms have disappeared, since
attempts to work off, the disease often
add to it's severity. The main indications
after the relief Of pain are to support
strength and prevent collapse. Coal tar
products are preferable to opium for the
relief Of pain in most cases, and tonic