The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-09-12
FLIES CARR OF
Hold FEVER
Spread the Contagion Among Soldiers
in Jacksonville.
MOSQUITO BITE PREVENTIVE.
Eight Hours Necessary for the Az
crase Nian-Temperature Should
be 80 or 60 Degrees.
MOSQUITO BITE PREVENTIVE.

losis, no one disease has occupied SO much
of the time of the average medical society
as typhoid fever. This is very naturally
SO, considering the fact that it occurs
throughout the bounds of civilization and
that the physician who has had no eXpe-
rence with typhoid fever would be hard
10 find. This is particularly true OF our
own country, our great. cities, all over,
showing a much greater morbidity and
Death rate from enteric fever than do the
great cities Of Europe. For instance,
some rec ntly-quoted statistics give Munich
a typhoid death rate of per 100000, Ber
lin Az, Vienna ), London 10, and Dresden
&. Compare these figures with some of
the large American Observation-Disclosures
81; Chicag go, 81; Detroit. %; Boston. %: New
York, II, and Toledo, %; and it will be
readily apparent that our municipal gov
ernments have failed to properly Srlpple
with this great problem.
FLIES AS CARRIERS.
In recent discussion of this subject
Professor V. C. Vaughan, of Ann Arbor,
who has written Interestingly of his eXpe-
riences with typhoid fever during the
Spanish war speaks of flies as carriers of
the contagioE This, he tells us, was
particularly noticeable in the army
encamped at Jacksonville where the citi-
zens were practically unaffected by the
disease, while among the soldiers, who
drank water from the same source, there
We're thousands Of cases. That the OIL
GERS did not suffer to Il similar extent he
attributes to the fact they ate III screened
tents. The appearance OF cold weather
diminished the number of flies. and the
frequency of typhoid bacame conspicuousy
less The fly, as a means of disseni-
mating the poison of typhoid fever, is being
more and more appreciated; and many
explain what is an undoubted fact III
this section, al leaSt-that enterlc fever is
=,
the winter months. With water as prac-
tically the only source in infection. this
prevalence of the disease in the warm
months Of the year cannot be explained
Practically the only method of contract
ing the disease Isl by taking into our sys-
TENS the objections of others, and the
principal manner of doing this is through
our drinking water AS regards the abil-
ity to reproduce itself Dr.. Vaughan says
that a single germ allowed to multiply
unhindered would, in sixteen days, produce
q germ for every drop of water in this
worid-a statement which, if not. strictly
speaking. scientific, at least shows the
amazing reproductive powers Of the bac-
illus typhosuS.
AS a result of careful! analysis of the
epidemcs of typhoid at various camps
during the late 7.Sr DR.. Vaughan puts the
average ratio of those who are susceptible
to the disease al % TO 33 per cent. Ami
mas are said never to be attacked by
typhoid fever.
q MOSQUITO BITE PREVENTIVE
T e New Yo k Meiical Journal is respon-
sible for the following:
One of our readers informs us tlat,
having seen a. statement in some English
medical journal to the effect that sulphur,
taken internally, would protect person
against flea bite. it occurred to him TO
try it as a preventive of mosquito bites,
Accordingly, he began taking an effer-
vesccnt compound of sulphur. He pro-
viGed himself with several lively mosqui-
toes, and, having put them into q wide
mouth bottle, inverted the bottle and
pressed it's mouth upon his bare arm The
mosquitoes settled upon his skin, but
showed no inclination to bite him.
If this gentlemans experience should be
borne out by further trials it might be
we'll for persons who are particularly SEN
fitive to mosquito bites to take a course
Of sulphur during the mosquito season.
especially in view of the growing opinion
that the mosquito is the common vehicle
OF the malaria germ.
SLEEPING VENTILATION.
Lawson TAFT, the lamented English
authority gives the following advice:
In all bedrooms the head Of the beds
u assume. now, that in every case the
beds are single. and that when there are
two they are placed alongside each otheI}
should be close to an inside wall. +. If this
ceiling. for a. space corresponding 10 the
bedstcad, should be covered with a thick
serge Loosely attached to the wall, to pre-
vent the formation OF. cataracts OF ar,
chilled by the cold wall, which VIII othef-
wise fall on the sleeper. The worst OF
Gods are caught in this simple manner
in the small hours of the morning; and
many a fatal senile or infant;le bronchitis
might b, prevented by this simple eXpe-
dent.
For the same reason the bed must not
be placed between a bad y-httng WINDOW
and the f1ue or doorway. For purposes
of ventilation by far the best plan is the
familiar one of making small space
between the middle bars of the window,
by raising the lower sash about two inches
against q fixed inner sill plate IN TINS
way a gentle stream of fresh air IS d!lIusea
over the ceiling. displacing the foul air,
and through the room at a proper tmpera-
ture.
THE HYGIENE OF SLEEP.
Eight hours of sleep are necessary Tor
the average individual. The energies o.
the body do not consist OF 1ntanSfp4s
essences They are not mysterious forces
separate and distinct from matter
living cell, we'll stored with energy, SHOWS
a great number of minute Sranules IN ats
interior and is plump and normal IN
appearances An exhausted cell shows the
number of granules greatly diminished or
absent: and the cell itself has a ShrlYeilen
appearances It is in sleep that these
energy sranules are produced, through the
afss:rni alton of food taken during the day.
During sleep. the amount of oxygen in the
body is replenished.
The best sleep is to be procured with
a rather low pile Of hair or cotton. or,
still better. an air pillow. The bedc,othes
should be light. The most hea ithtui plan
is for each individual to have his own bed
The seeping-room should be thoroughly
ventilated, and at a temperature several
drrees below that of the ordinary working
or liying-roonl-no higher than 80 degrees
o- 60 deerees in winter. The best sleep
is secured when the stomach is not occu-s
Med with digestion. sctinf sleep is often
5d:st1rbed by an overloaded stomach This
cordition is also often the occasion of
frirhtful dreams. Disturbed sleep, or
insomnis.. may be relieved by a wet girde.
or by a, needle bath before retiring