Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1905-11-23
...>zS 49,
Home Health
Club
D,pAyID q. FEEDER. Ph. D.. Nh p.
L. Porte, Ind.
TYPHOID FEVER.

TYPHOID FEVER.
1 recently had letter from relative
In a city in Indian territory, telling OF
recovery from typhoid fever, stating at
the same time that, while the total popu-
latiou of the city was less than 5000,
thele were over 100 cases of typhoid at
that date and the number of deaths
were appalling.
In the case of herself and husband
the Home Health club methods of treat
ment were carefully followed, and they
both made complete recovery in short
time, but they at once moved to town
where there was pure water and good
sewerage. The sickness had cost them
$500 in money besides the loss of valua-
BILE time.
In view of the fact that this is the
season of the year when the disease is
most prevalent, think few remarks
on the financial side of the question by
DR.. Victor Vaughan, of the University of
Michigan, as given in the New York In
dependent, are pertinent.
I'VE have $4,000 deaths annually from
typhoid fever, and we know how to pre-
vent these deaths. Why do we not do
it? 1t Is estimated that the life of the
average adult is worth to the state
$1,000. If a young man of from 20 to 25
years of age loses his life, it will cost
$1,000 to raise another up to the same
age and I am sure that any father who
is engaged in the pleasurable occupation
Of raising a family of boys will deny
that 1t can be done SO cheaply. But on
this estimate, this government is losing
$4,000 times $1,000, or $50,000,000 annu-
ally in deaths from typhoid fever. This
is not all typhoid fever is costing US. For
every death from this disease, at least
ten other people are sick with it. Five
hundred thousand people who do not die
are sick each year with typhoid fever.
We will suppose that the average dura-
ton Of the sickness is % days, and all
physicians will agree that this estimate
Is too low. The person who has typhoid
fever is often unable to resume his vo-
cation within q shorter time than
three months. However, we will make
our estimate on the superstition that
the average time lost from work by a
man sick with this disease amounts to
100000 times % days, or 100000
days, which is equivalent to more
than 1886 years. Supposing that the
time OF the individual is worth so cents
per day when he is well; this repre-
sents an actual loss of 100000 annu-
ally, and this should be doubled, be-
cause for every person sick the time
Of another person who acts as nurse is
demanded. The $14,O00,OOO added to
the $50,000,000 which are lost by death
makes total sum of $64,000,000, or
about one dollar for every inhabitant,
the annual tribute levied upon this ma
ton by the one disease, typhoid fever.
This represents approximately the
amount which we pay every year for
the ignorance and carelessness which
we exercise in allowing this preventa-
BILE disease to prevail among us.
Il have said that typhoid fever is a
preventabls disease, and that the large
number of deaths from this disease is
unnecessary. This is true, not only
theoretically, but practical demonstra-
tons are not wanting. Prior to 1859,
the city of Munich, in Bavaria, was d
vcritable hotbed of typhoid fever
There were no sewers and no public
water supply. Most of the houses were
furnished with large brick or wooden
flues, which were built from the cellar
up through the different floors. Into
these the excretions from the body
were dropped and accumulated in the
cellars. Other waste material was de.
posted in cesspools and garbage was
thrown into back yards. The air in
the houses was foul and offensive to
the sense of smell. The drinking wa
ter was taken from shallow wells in
the yards, and these often received the
ooze from the cesspools and vaults. In
1S5? the citizens were compelled to
seal tightly the bottoms and sides of
these receptacles of filth, and, later,
a system of sewerage was introduced,
and later still a supply of wholesome
drinking water was obtained. Not
withstanding the fact that portions of
the city still remained unsewered at
the time of the last report, the results
have teen most gratifying. From 1852
to 1859, the typhoid deaths per 1000
in Munich averaged 242. This has
been gradually decreased until, in 1884
II was IA per 1000.
''This shows what has been done in
an old and crowded city, and Vienna
has practically repeated the demon
strations made by Munich. The ma
jority of cases of typhoid fever arises
from contaminated water. That a
drinking water infected with the dis.
charges of person sick with typhoid
fever may cause an epidemic Of the
disease there can no longer be any
doubt. The records of sanitary sci
ence abound in histories of such cases.