The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-09-17
DANGER FROM TYPHOID
Secretary 7. B. Beatty of the State
Board of Health Sounds a
Note of Warning.

DIR. T. b. Beatty, secretary Of the state
board Of health, has just issued a sup
plement TO the August bulletin on health
conditions in the state. in which he lays
special stress on the dangers of typhoid
fever. He says:
The June bulletin, issued July 18th.
called attention to the approach of the
typhoid season, and urged the adoption
OF precautions by means Of which the
disease might be prevented. CnfOrtu-
nately, many have neglected these meas
ures. as shown by the report Gncou-
plete) OF l64 cases, including s deaths.
during the month of August The .DFeVa-
Ience OF this distressing and deadly dis
ease Is daily increasing throughout the
state ana, unless restricted, will continue
10 increase from week to week during
the next three or four months. Before
the end of that period hundreds of peo-
pie now well and unconscious of danger
Will be stricken and scores viii die.
In their death certificates should be
inserted as the cause of death man
slaughter In each individual case some
other person will have been positively
ana directly responsible for the death.
Again let il be repeated and emphasized
that, typhoid fever cannot be caused by
anything else except the typhoid organ
isms which are given off in the eX-
creta OF a previous case. The law de-
mands that this material shall be dis
injected, and failure TO do so cOnsu-
tutes misdemeanOr. II should. in
stead, be made felony, and the pen
aEty strictly enforced. Why should an
individual be permitted to scatter poi
son. which Is liable TO find its way into
the system of another and destroy him,
with a less penalty attached 70 the crime
tn3u that which would be inflicted were
he To fire gun at random into a crowd
of people, killing one or mOrer The lat
ter death would be more merciful as
IL would be free from the agony accom-
panying typhoid fever.
An educated public sentiment should
demand that the crime Of disseminating
typhoid fever shall cease and that the
law requiring the simple and effective
measures described shall be enforced. il
Is the duty of health officers and ply
sicians in attendance in every case 10
instruct people as 10 the requirements
of the law and to see that they are car
rled out, but ignorance OF the law and
the disastrous consequences liable 10 re-
sui- from its violation should not be al
lowed TO eXtenuate. Every such viola
ton that Is discovered should be fol-
lowed by rigid prosecutions, ana persons
ignorant or Indifferent as to the cOnse-
queuce of their failure TO safeguard the
lives of others made 10 realize the gray
ity of their Offense. In this connection,
health officers are urged TO enforce With
out mercy the law requiring physicians
and others TO report typhoid fever, as
without the Information thus obtained
fGSLflCAlNt measures CdunUL be tILOEttu
or the source of the disease intelligntly
investigated.
The usual channel through which the
typhoid germ is conveyed is the drink
ing water. and il is the duty of citi-
Zens generally, and especially of the To-
cal authorities, to safeguard the water
supply When undisinfected typhoid eX-
creta are deposited in the usual recep-
tacles, all wells in the vicinity become at
once a menace 10 those who drink the
water. A very large proportion of ty-
phOid fever, besides other serious mala-
dies occurring in this state, result from
the foregoing conditions. In most of the
towns this dangerous evil may easily
be Temedied as nature has provided close
at hand mountain springs and streams
b. of pure water which may be utilized at
a minimum cost. Failure to take ad-
vantage of the privilege is a reflection
upon the intelligence of those in author
ity and the community which elects them
70 office If the citizens Of these towns
would arouse themselves and make a
pure water supply and the public health
"a political issue. il would not be long
until scores of towns, now condemned
To polluted wells and bitches and their
attending evils, would rejoice in a pure
water system and the safety. comfort
and increased prosperity secured there
BY"