Evening star., 1902-08-18
TYPHOID IN THE COUNTRY.
Care Which Patrons of Rural Resorts
Should Practice.

Should Practice.
From the New York Herald,
In recent interview a Brooklyn health
official. commenting upon the appearance of
typhoid fever in a family of six persons,
gave 1t as his opinion that the majority, II
not all. Of the cases occurring in the city
were infected In country resorts, and that
consequently autumn was the season for
the greatest prevalence Of the disease AL
though this fact is not new to the medical
profession, 1t Is one that the public should
take to heart, In order, if possible, to guard
against the many causes of the disease
which threaten the summer boarder. 1t is
conceded by all scientific authorities that
the malady never originates Of itself, but
is always induced by specific microbe
which In some way or other gains an en-
trance to the alimentary canal and mostly
by polluted food or drink When the COM
pleX and varied methods by which the In
lection Is accomplished are considered 1t
is often a wonder why the number of VIC
tins Is not larger
The only real safety consists in the as
sumption that no recent cases Of fever have
appeared In any given neighborhood The
dlfhculty in being sure on this point lies
at the bottom Of the majority of those in
stances of sickness which occur after va
cation and which appear to be otherwise of
unaccountable origin. The ordinary far
mer. with the moss covered bucket and
clear we'll water, is not always to be trust
ed as an expert sanitarian nor is he apt to
volunteer any information concerning the
fever cases that have occurred either in his
own house or that of his neighbor. He has
very easy conscience on such matters for
strictly business purposes especially when
he can coax himself to believe that all dam
ger has passed and the mcrobe business
is nothing but a foolish fad. We may not
blame his ignorance. but certainly there is
no excuse for the responsibility he assumes
on account of it.
Even under the most promising guaran-
tee Of immunity for the newcomer there is
never absolute safety from the latent germs
of previous cases. Under certain conditions
the typhoid bacillus is tenacious of life and
Is active months after epidemic mas ap-
parenty ended. Experiments have proved
that it may live in the ice of polluted
stream and retain it's virulence for four
months and over. The epidemic of Ply ym-
outh, Pa, in 1885 originated from one case
and spread three months after the refuse
OF the sick room had been frozen H. the
snow and ice where 1t had been tnrown.
When the thaW came an adjoining water
supply became contaminated, and in the
course Of ninety days afterward not less
than twelve hundred persons suffered from
the fever. Numerous similar cases are on
| record In rural districts proving that the
water supply Of neighborhood is the most
fruitful and ready means of fever propa-
cation.
| An old well is always a menace, and when
| 1t becomes poisoned it is next to Impossible
| to make 1t safe afterward. Even books take
| long while to cleanse themselves and the
| mlcro-organism has been known to eXis,
| over eighty days at time in filter sand
| Defective surface drainage quite naturally
| prolongs the period of chance Infection.
| This was shown in the epidemic In Munich
! In 1898. which was said to be due solely tc
| soil pollution. Contaminated manure Is also
| a factor, and salads and other garden prod.
! uce are likely to be the vehicles for the
conveyance of the germ directly to the con.
| sumer. How to guard against the possibli-
| ty of infection from this and similar sources
| is one Of the many difficult problems that
confront the inquisltive investigator. Let
us hope, however, that the thousands who
| are now away on their vacations may re
| turn to US safe and sound and not be ir
any way reminded of possible dangers tc
| which they may be at present exposed.