The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1904-03-12
TYPHOID ALSO ACQUIRED.
oi'ne Disease Has Been Brough.
In from New Possessions
BY Soldiers.

mas been far greater than from the h,l
,e's =. the enemy, and the conquest 9
'ne philippines is no exception to IN
rue, says medical journal Durin
the Spanish-American war the unfortr
nate conditions that developed in tn
camps even at home proved serious b.
Swing opportunities for the wide dis
uioution OF typhoid germs.
uis probable that some of the maIari,
Oh recent years in districts formarI,
niue affected by its germs has beer
que to the same cause. Relapses of M q.
.;. are not uncommon in the spring
ume' and so the mosquito gets the
onance TO become inoculated by the
ndiarial parasites and to spread them
region never before infected. The
epidemic OF smallpox which occurred in
TINS country during the Spanish-Amer.
ican war was undoubtedly due to thu
importation of this disease by the cam
paigners from Cuba and Porto Rico and
its transfer to many parts of the coun.
ry Dy these discharged soldiers. This
mas already cost many thousands OF
nves' and the end is not yet.
During the last three years there has
oeen noteworthy tendency to out
breaks OF typhoid fever which did not
exist for at least decade before the
opanisn-American war. From a large
number Of the smaller towns through
out the country have come reports Of
the existence of typhoid fever in emf
| oemic form. At least four university
towns have been badly frightened by the |
presence OF typhoid, and one of them
SUFFERED severely from the ravages of the |
disease.
There is general feeling of insecur.
ity with regard to typhoid that probably
portends the occurrence of further epi-
denies in the near future. We now
know that typhoid fever is not the re-
suit OF unsanitary conditions in gen.
erai, or even Of the contamination OF
thinking water by sewer or by excre-
mentitious material from human beings
unless those human beings have been
sunering from typhoid fever. Unless
the principle that typhoid fever never
originates de novo Is true-that is. mn
less there is an absolute connection of
any given case with preceding one of
the disease-all our modern bacterial
ogy is founded on false assumption.
It is evident that a large number ~
scattered foci Of typhoid fever have !
somehow come into existence in this .
country, and that it is from these that
the specinc germs succeed in finding z
lneir way into drinking water or into
MIX or other food materials to cause 2
me disease In new subjects. The only e
'ossioie cause for this renewed activity !. =
Ind widespread distribution must be
ome special opportunity for infection Of
incurred by many individuals in differ p
Mt parts of the country. The ideal on n n
srtunity for this unfortunate process -
as evidently occurred in the Philip-
ines typhoid fever has been COM 81
lonly epidemic there, and during tbe =
list two years many hundreds of dis
narged soldiers have returned to their
omes in the smaller towns throughout Sa
ne United States. while, probably. still s q,
he hosts OF typhoid bacilli. It Is or
ossible at times that the attack of the
sease during their campaigning NAV
ave been so slight that in the tropical
innate with the liability to passing
vers among the unacclimated. the af-
cuon may have been unrecognized. #,
1t is very evident that, to the calcu- din,
ted cost of our new possessions n for
easure and in soldiers, there must he gro
deo the fatal results of these epidem-
at home. The only possible adyan- Pre-
&c to be derived from the present I'M will
situation is to see that the MOI
sons OF these epidemics shall not be
t. We are now made sure that fbe A
9Th OF time during which GONZALES Sess
1t from typhoid fever may continue
be source of infection for Others is
T
he fact that typhoid bacilli may re- ~; ol
In absolutely latent in the bone mar owe,
for many years after an attack Of moo,
mold fever, and then after the immu- ern
following the attack has passed Off s tam
In become source of danger, shows is II
there Is much yet to be learned IN year
matter. twee
ro.ho LOU
anu even more important les rout
is that the government shall take so
'ial care that returning soldiers NAV the
prove sourcos of ,nf....- st.
!. -. s,,, =, 'nloe'ion. IL would Loui
'nae soioiefs should rot be allowed If
% directly from foreign countries to trip,
homes, but that their transfer tn the T
country should be made some e. e.,
tbs before their discharge, in order
9 sure that the possibilities for the Tn,
,eyance and distr;hut,on :, 80. he is
to others should have disappeared A.o' L
re they return to civic life. "Tl
le recent experiences ,r th,. hotel
taught US that war still remains = rate.
us source of disease. Before the and
war It was Thought minis
the development Of sanitary SCI A.
had reached point that vould in an
10 the army medical department to in hin
rye soldiers from epidemic dis
The idea was complete illusion. saved
medical history Of this country Robin
the war shows the necessity for -
ution after men have been assem-
In large bodies in tropical and un-
ary climates, and must eventually Bac
mother chapter to the science NJ appeti