The courier., 1901-08-31
TYPHOID FEVER.
For The Courier

One OF the common questions asked
concerning typhoid fever is whether it
is contagious.
Any student Of the disease. it's cause.
symptoms and methods Of spreading,
finds il easy to understand that the dis.
ease is transmitted directly or Indirect
ly from one person to another or that it
ie simultaneously induced in a number
OF people from the same cause. This
fact is proven by many well-known
facts, one OF the mcst conclusive OF
which is found in the experience Of
Plymouth. Pennsylvania. which in the
summer OF 1885 had hundreds Of cases
Of typhoid fever, with several hundred
deaths. all due to the contamination Of
its water supply by the discharges from
q single patient. This epidemic. as we'll
as many others, have furnished such
convincing evidence of the value Of
guarding against the incubation Of
water with typhoid and other disease
germs that many Of our cities are now
almost perfectly protected. Let US give
thanks that Lincoln is one Of these.
Typhoid is one Of what are called the
continued fevers that is an heritage
from the remote past; until within the
last hundred years. however, it had not
been distinguished from what is now
known ss typhus fever. the latter being
q disease found almost exclusively in
filthy surroundings and impure air;
while a case OF typhoid fever may be
found under the most hygienic condi-
tions. the patient having been in
fected by come article Of food or drink
obained from a contaminated source.
Examination OF q considerable num-
ber Of typhoid fever cases has served to
show that infection Of the patient prac-
tically always occurs by the introduce
tion of the specific organism or causa-
tive germ through the mouth and stom-
ach into the intestines. Here the germs
develop and thros off their peculiar
poisons or toxins. by absorption of
which into the body the characteristic
symptoms Of the disease are produced.
1t has been shown that groups Of the
germs may also form and develop in the
spleen and some other organs.
The foods by which the germ is
usually carried are water, milk, fresh
vegetables which have been sprlnkled
or washed with infected water, and
other articles Of diet prepared in some
way 30 that they may be infected by
these. A consideration of this means of
transmission will show that any patient
suff ring from the disease can easily be
fertile source of infection for others,
especially when it is remembered that
sll Of the excretions, even including the
glands OF the mouth and the sweat
glands, throw off hourly from the dis.
eased body countless numbers Of these
germs.
1t is extremely fortunate that bounti-
ful nature has SO amply provided us with
succeesful defenses against the inroads
Of these micro organisms; for during the
presence Of typhoid germs in any milk
or water supply. considerable number
OF people are. Of course, exposed to the
disease and escape it because the num-
Der OF germs that they have been called
upon to resist, they are able success
fully to oppose. When a caee occurs in
q family. the members Of the family who
escape do so Tor the same reason. and
the methods of disinfection employed
are valuable for the reason that they
keep the number of germs, which these
other members Of the family are called