The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-09-14
typhoid Fever. Rules for It's Pre-
vention.

0From Advance Sheets of the August
Bulletin of the State Board of Health.)
Typhoid fever is present in seventy-five
of the ninety counties reporting for July.
1t is therefore widely prevalent in our
State. 1t is a communicable disease,
spreading from one case to another,
though generally in a roundabout fash
ion 1t extension can be prevented by
the careful observance of certain simple
rules. For the information of the people
we give these rules, preceded by a state
ment of the reasons upon which they are
based If read and needed by even few
some lives would be saved and much sick
ness would be prevented. Read them and
tell about them.
The active agency in the causation of
typhoid fever is a bacterium, the bacillus
typhosus which attacks and causes the
liberation of certain glands in the small
intestine, developing therein by myriads.
They are therefore to be found chiefly in
the bowel discharges although present
also in the excretion of the kidneys and
to some extent in the expectoration of a
person sick with the disease. From one
of these sources nearly always the first
named. the bacteria are transferred to
the intestinal tract of a healthy person.
The poison is always swallowed. The
most common agencies of transfer are
the drinking water, including milk in
fected from washing cans in polluted wa
| ter, and the common house fly although
| it may be conveyed directly to the nurse
| by her own soiled hands, and sometimes
| in dust. The most important rules there
fore for the prevention of the extension
| of the disease may be briefly stated as
follows:
! l. Cover Immediately upon their pas
! sage the body discharges-to prevent ac-
cess of flies.
| 2. AS soon as possible thoroughly dis
infect the discharges by mixing in equal
quantity with them one of the following:
! (a) freshly made milk of lime or white
wash (unslacked lime); (b) a FIVE pei
cent. solution of carbolic acid; (c) a l to
| 1000 solution of corrosive sublimate; ID
a per cent solution of formaldhyde
After standing a half-hour covered all
the time) the mixture should be buried
| (never throw on the surface of the
ground) at distance from the well of moi
| less than $50 feet.
3. Provide in the sick-room wooden
tub one third full of either of the three
last named solutions, and drop therein as
soon as removed everything in the way
of body or bed clothing handkerchiefs
| towels, etc, that have come in contact
with the patient, and keep them sub
merged until they can be boiled, washed
and dried in the sun.
4. All remnants of food that may fol
any reason be carried into the sick-roon
must be burned.
| 5. The nurse should wash her hands
and dip them into one of the solutions
| preferably corrosive sublimate after
every changing" of the patient She
should never draw water from the famil,
we'll unless a pump is used. In case il
should be absolutely necessary she should
disinfect her hands as above before do
ing so.
6. The soiled linen of the patient should
never be washed at or near the well oil
spring. The greatest care should be OBJ.
served to prevent the drainage or seepagc
| through the soil into the we'll or spring
from accumulation of filth of all kinds
As soon as a case of typhoid fever APP
pears in family all drinking water
| N9AiVuiu bS bOlleu until q report on inc
same can be obtained from the State
Biologist the family physician making APP
plication to the Secretary of the Board
OF Health for permit and sterilized bottle
Z. AS the germ is present in the intes-
tine in the preliminary stages and for
several weeks after convalescence is es-
tablished and the patient practically we'll
extra care of surface pfivies should be
observed. Every evacuation should be
Immediately and completely covered with
| lime or dry powdered earth
| Summary.-Prompt disinfection of all
discharges from the body of the patient;
protection of the same against flies; spe-
| cial care as to the drinking water.
scrupulous cleanliness.
| To the Professionals the people can
not be reached except through the midi
cal attendant we earnestly beg all ply
sicians having cases of typhoid fever un-
der their care to insist upon the strict
| observance of the above simple rules
Printed copies of the same will be fur
nished in quantity upon request.