Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-07-19
HOW DISEASES GROW.


Asms Which F10urfsh In
the Earth
Some novel observations on one of
the most interesting problems con-
nected with the prevalence of zy1notic
dlsease-namely, the natural history
of the heterogeneous in the ground
will be found in the medical supple
ment to the annual report of the
local government board, says the Lon
don Standard. Certain forms of dis
ease are said to be endemic in partic-
ular countries and localities-by
which is meant that they are never
wholly absent. Typhoid fever, for
instance, is endemic in most quarters
of the globe, but much more SO in
some places than in others. .Diph-
liberia. again, is always more or less
prevalent in all western countries,
plague is believed to have several
endemic centers, and cholera is never
absent from some parts of India.
Probably all infectious diseases are
endemic somewhere. From these
natural bases, SO to speak. they are
liable to spread from time to time
and develop into epidemic proper
tions. 1t is obviously important to
know what are the conditions which
favor the persistence of a disease in
this locality and its absence from
that.
The problem may be studied in two
ways; on a large scale by observing
the geographical distribution and the
general conditions accompanying
prevalence; or on a microscopical
scale by investigating the relations
between the specific microorganisms
and their environment, in which the
soil appears to be an important ele-
ment. In the latter field the research
department. of the local government
board has already done some valuable
pioneer work, which is continued by
DIR. Sidney Martin and DIR. Houston in
the present report. The microorgan-
ism selected for investigation is the
too familiar typhoid bacillus. It is
almost ubiquitous, but it haunts GER
tain spots with remarkable persist
ence. An instance is the town of
Chichester, where it recurs year after
year in particular areas, which do not
appear to differ as regards their gen.
eFa1 sanitary conditions from other
areas that are not so affected. It has
been previously shown that the
typhoid bacillus will grow readily in
some kinds of soil when it has been
"sterilized," or freed from the pres
ence of other bacteria. It will live
and multiply in earth obtained from
cultivated areas, gardens, and the
surroundings of houses, when GER
tain amount of water and organic
matter is present. In such a medium
il has been found alive after the lapse
of more than a year, and even after
the earth has been dried to powder at
a low temperature.
On the other hand, in 'svirgin. soils
that is, earth which has never been
cultivated, or MANFRED, and is mostly
of sandy or peaty nature-it viii
not grow, and dies out in a short
time. Nor will it thrive in cultivated
soil which has not been steriliZed, and
consequently contains the natural
bacteria. DIR. Sidney Martins more
recent experiments have been direct
ed to the calculation of this point. It
appears that too much moisture is
bad for the bacillus. IF the earth is
kept drier it does not die at once, but
lives, at least, for a week or two.
After that it disappears, perishing,
apparently, in struggle for exist
ence with the soil microbes. The lat
ter, however, do not have it all their
own way, for some of them succumb
to the typhoid bacillus, while others
are too strong for it. Nine varieties
were matched against it under differ
ent conditions; some would beat it
every time at high or low tempera-
a.
In other cases change of tempera-
ture made difference and enabled
the typhoid champion to win. There
is some reason to believe that its
most formidable antagonists are the
putrefactive bacteria, which increased
pari passu with its disappearance. 1t
is a fascinating study, and a promis-
ing though very difficult field of re-
search. At present Little more than
beginning has been made, but the
foregoing observations suggest the
possibility of important discoveries.
The results are in measure surpris-
ing, as they appear to contradict the
current. view, derived from observa-
tions on large scale, that the en-
demic persistence of typhoid fever is
favored by soil saturated with sew
age and putrefactive matter. Inves-
LEGATIONS into the particular case OF
Chichester have led to negative re-
suits. No essential difference has
been made out between the soils of
the fever and the non-fever areas.
Ex-AspiratinE.
A young man blessed with nice
tenor voice, seriously married by his
defective enunciation, was asked at a