The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-14
HINTS ON COUNTRY BOARD.
Select Your Rural Retreat With Care
Danger of Typhoid Fever.


To the anxious paterfamilias who
wishes to settle his wife and children
in some healthful rural retreat there are
many important matters for his consid-
Grafton. Not the least of these bear
upon the actual healthfulness of the
place to be selected. There is some
thing more to be taken into account
than plain, healthy board, farm life
and abundance of milk and eggs"
The instinct for radical change of en-
vironment seeks special qualification in
life on the farm and the simplicity of
its restful routine Alas the romance
ly when on the return to the city ty-
phoid and malarial fevers claim one or
more of the family of health seekers.
1t is a we'll assured fact that typhoid
fever occurring in New York every au-
tumn is essentially product of rural
importation and results from the insan-
itary conditions of many of the social
ed model rural health resorts. The old
fashioned farmhouse with its sunken
WELL its blind cesspool and its nearby
barnyard is so often chargeab BILE with fe-
yer dissemination that the careful man
cannot be too critical before making his
choice While some risks must be taken
in this regard, it is well to reduce them
to minimum before it may be too late.
The good farmer, however well he may
be disposed, is not by any means prac-
teal sanitarium, nor is he ordinarily
receptive of the new-fangled notions of
health cranks."
In estimating the danger of trusting
to the ignorance and prejudice of the
rustic housekeeper it is necessary only
to call to mind the many ways in which
the typhoid germ can infect the suS-
ceptible individual By so doing there
is perhaps an opportunity for applying
such knowledge in guarding against the
of r-fir
ular instances.
The sunken well is always a menace
to the newcomer and is the common re-
ceptacle for the typhoid germ. To be
sure that the drinking water is not con-
taminated it is also necessary to be GER
tain that there have been no typhoid
cases for many months in the imme1i-
ate vicinity of the dwelling. 1t would
seem almost necessary for his own pro-
lection that the owner of the we'll could.
on the authority of an expert chemist.
guarantee the water to be above suspic-
mn.
Then there is the milk supply, that
never can be trusted if there has been
any fever existing in the neighbOrhood.
/ GOodmilk requires that the mixers be
clean, the cows healthy and the stables
in good sanitary condition. The flies
! also are sources of danger, liable to car
/ ry the poison for long distances and in
directly to contaminate the food. The
mosquito. now that he is charged with
propa eating malaria, is also to be
Stunned, although as a propa gator of
/ typhoid he is quite innocent. It is we'll
/ that the oyster is tabooed as a summer
food, else it would be hard to estimate
the damage it might do along our sea-
coast resorts Lastly, the fresh vege-
! tables are not always above suspicion in
harboring the typhoid germ from the
garden manure.
Certainly, viewing these chances OF
( importing typhoid into town in the
autumn, the prudent head of a family
needs to satisfy himself thoroughly on
the safety of his choice of farmhouse,
country cottage or rustic hotel before
engaging quarters for his summer out
ing He cannot control all conditions,
but there are certain preventive meas
ures that may be within easy reach
New York Herald.