Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-25
SOURCE OF TYPHOID
MEANS BY WHICH MEN MAY
GUARD AGAINST INFECTION.
Dangers Of the Disease-Period of Sus-
ceptibility-Polluted Drink
ing Water.

DR.. James c. Bayles in World Is Work.
1t has often been said of typhoid fever
| (Which is just now 80 prevalent in many
| American cities and tOwns) that one may
eat and drink 1t. but he cannot breathe 1t.
Experience establishes this a general
truth
While typhoid attacks persons of all ages.
its greatest fatality Is among those in the
prime OF life. The period of maximum sus-
ceptibility seems to be between the ages
OF eighteen and forty-tve. This. however.
may be less of paradox than it appears to
be. Vigorous persons in the prime of life
are, perhaps. less prudent than the young
are required to be. They indulge in more
excuses and incur greater risks in exposure
to weakening influences. Good gen
eral health is the best safeguard known or
imaginable against typhoid: and 1t should
not be forgotten that general good health Is
inconsistent with imprudence III haoit OF
diet.
Drinking Water.
Undoubtedly the most frequent cause OF
| typhoid fever is found in polluted drinking
| water. Generally speaking. the protection
of water supply is beyond the power of
| the individual; but even polluted water may
| be perfectly sterili3ed by the simple ex-
| pedient of boiling it. Care must be taken.
| however. to protect 1t from subsequent
| contamination. The cooling which Is n"res-
| sary to render it agreeable to the taste
| should not be done with ice added TO IL
| and permitted to mingle with 1t in melting.
unless the purity of the ice is assured.
| wall of clean glass between the boiled wa
| ter and the ice which coOs it is prudent.
| Why the very general use of boiled water
| does not safeguard more homes against ty-
| phoid invasion than it appears to IS prop
ably due to the fact that it is not used ex-
/ cluSively. There is almost certain To DE
| carelesSnesS in the kitchen, however great
the degree of care in the ming room. The
| washing of green vegetables in water from
| the tap. and its addition to food preDlra-
| tons served knocked will often carry the
| germs to the most ScrunulOuSy guarded
| table If the water supply of a house Is
| known to be polluted it should be treated
| like any other poison. Bottled waters may
| or may not be safe. 1t depends partly upon
| what they filled with and partly upon
| how the empty bottles are cleanse between
| retillings. Since the consumer can know
| very little about tbs. however curiOusy he
| may inquire. he may feel more confidence
| in water he has boiled and properly cooled
| than in supply which must be taken
| largely on faith.
| Danger in Milk
| Milk IS in many respects the most danger
| Gus article of food which comes into the
| well-ordered dwelling. Innumerable epi-
| denies of typho fever have been traced to
! it. The normal condition of the milk OF
| commerce is that of swarming with bac-
terra. Generally speaking. it should never
| be used unsterilZed. The process known
| as pasteurization. by which it is heated to
| los or 1tD degrees, ~ the simplest and
| safest. In no other way than by heat can
| household which receives a daily supply of
| milk be safeguarded against typhoid fever.
The same is true Of sea food. Since it Is
| Impossible to know the Immediate source
| or ShelltlSh urChaSed in the market their
| use unCooked may be properly DISCOURAGED
ter
voluminous and convincing. Indeed there
| are very few things which may be eaten
raw with immunity from the immediate
danger of typhoid Infection DR. w r
Sedgwick. professor of bacterio,oyy In the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
! says with great force and attractive brew
lty: Nothing is more certain in sanitary
| science than that cookery, which by the
! use Of heat destroys parasites intending
bacteria. is Of the very highest hygienic
| value
Flies are Industrious agents in the dis
sernination of the secondary infection of
typhoid fever. After wandering about ALI
sorts of unclean places and picking IN
bacteria they come in at open windows and
doors and satisfy their pampered appetItes
by visits to the food prepared for the fam
lily. A fly in the butter may be assumed
to leave behind him. if he gets away. what
ever parasitic micro orga nisms he carried
on MS feet and legs, or to plant them there
II he does not. The fly Is also the agent
OF more direct conveyance of typhoid
patiiil III the spreading of secondary in
lectlon lie has a fOndneSs for lighting on
the lips of persons, sick or we'll as NAV
De- ana every human being INDUCES more
| or less in the habit of wetting tho linz
win The tongue. In this way what the fy
| leaves behind him may be taken IN h,, ~.
| saliva and passed directly into the aljmen
tary canal. there to do whatever mischief
may be It's normal function To be efrect
ualiy saiesuarded against typhoid fever
on" must keep flies, mOsuuitoes and oil
other insects out of his house and awav
! from his person.
terms On Hands
blsltal injection Is recognized as one OF
Inc many ways In which typhoid fever Ia
carried 10 persons capable of avoiding
plher exposure From balustrades. door
knobs the hand rails Of street vehicles tho
straps provided for those who cannot o.t
seats. ana from a thousand other things
"hlch one may touch and usually thinks ha
may touch ana not be defled he NAV get
the baclli on his fingers. and however, ne,t
ana careful he may be the path from finger
10 the intestinal canal is usually that or
least resistance ' VI
Dr. Hayies concludes. therefore. that
complete immunity from typhoid infection
demands an impossible vigilance H.
would scarcely be worth the trouble ara
anxiety required to observe all the prec.u
uons necessary to make immunity from at
tack certain. But comparison If ma 49,
phoid death rates in American ana ~
pean cities shows that wise measures ~
municipal improvement. chiefly in the Al
tratioh or the water supply. the regulation
Of the milk traffic and other sirnnIa 1911 i'
dents. will reduce the dangers ~ t,Hp.,
injection to a minimum An epidamic 90 T..
IN any city or town, like that Of Itt,ao
last winter Is evidence of negligence. De,it
with by the local authorities in :, i,rfla
way typhoid Is declared to be ..one Of ~. S
most readily controllable and preyentahia
of diseases " pie