The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-06-17
Health Notes.
TREATMENT OF SCARLET AND TYPHOID
FEVEBs.
TYPHOID FEVER

Perhaps I cannot do better to make
Ills half hour practical as we'll as suS-
r~estive, than to give you briefly the
chief points in the limitation and pre-.
veqtion of three ct the trials ot ply
sician's practice. The prevention of
typhoid fever is 4 phase of home nv
r.nc u~recially intert sting and valua-
bic to the farmer. This and tubercu-
losis or consumption, are diseases
which are propagated by farm prod
nets. Thanks to the Farmers Insti-
tutes, the latter is now pretty well un-
derstood and guarded against, but the
care and prevention of typhoid fever
are perhaps not so well understood by
the farmers wife. In this case it is
she who is the responsible one, since,
usually, she cares for, or at least di-
rects the nursing of the patient. In
the vast majority of cases typhoid fe-
yer is contracted by drinking water
contaminated by sewage. Many local
epidemics are directly traceable to this
cause. The great epidemic in Plym-
outh, Pa, in which 1900 cases out of
a population of 5000 occurred, was
traced to the pollution of the water
supply by a single patient. 1t is but a
little while ago, that we had nearly an
epidemic of typhoid fever in Milwau-
kee, and as we are required to report
all such cases at the Health Office, it
was not long before the attention of
the authorities was drawn to the mat
ter. Investigation was at once begun,
and it was found that nearly all of the
families having the fever took milk
from one milkman, and through him
the milk was traced to a farm where
there was typhoid fever. If this fam
lily had known that even the hands
could carry infection from the sick
room to the milk, and that liquids of
any kind from the sickroom, poured on
the ground might infect the water sup
ply, that special epidemic with its ex-
pense and loss of loved ones, might
have been spared. Raw vegetables,
dishes, milk pans, or cans washed in
water containing typhoid germs, may
prove sources of infection. Articles
of food may be contaminated by the
soiIed fingers of those who prepare it,
or those who wait upon the sick, and
the germs may be carried to food or
milk by house flies, from discharges
that have been allowed to stand un-
cnrcIed.
CARE AND PREVENTION.
It will be seen from this that the in
dications in typhoid fever are first, to
prevent any case from proving a
source of further infection, and &C.
ond, to rectify any unsanitary ar
rangement of any kind which might
lead to the pollution of the water sup
Ely. As a disinfectant for discharges
OF any kind solutions of chloride of
lime (giving 25 per cent to the gallon),
or a 5 per cent solution of carbolic
ac'd may be used. About a half pint
of the carbolic acid mixture should be
put in the bed pan before it is used,
end afterwards the same quantity ado
ed, thoroughly mixing the whole. Lei
this stand, covered, for a couple of
hours, and it may then be put into the
privy, or water closet, or mixed with
earth and be buried far from any wa
ter supply; or, in the country the dis
charges may be mixed with sufficient
sawdust and burned. The bedding and
clothing should be removed as soon as
soiled, placed in a,pail OF tub kept in
the sickroom for the purpose, covered
with a 5 per cent solution of carbolic
acid, and removed to the laundry and
boiled in the carbolic acid solution
half an hour. Then they may be
washed with soap and thoroughly
rinsed.
SCARLET FEVER
In scarlet fever. remember first, that
scarlatina is not a mild form of scar
let fever. 1t is scarlet fever, and
scarlet fever is s~carlatina. Scarlatina
is only the scientific name for scarlet
fever. And remember, next, that the
most malignant case of scarlet fever
may be contracted from a very mild
one; and finally. that in few other di-
seases are preventive measures more
effective. The most important o f-these
measures is isolation of the patient