Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-11-02
~AS2&
Home Health
i Club
By DAVID n. FEEDER. Phi. D.. ND.
La Porte, Lad.
=, e
TYPHOID FEVER.

- $500
the same time that, while the total popu-
lation of the city was less than 5000,
there were over 100 cases of typhoid al
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 a short
time, but they at once moved to a 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 a 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.
1--WE have 5000 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
| dfCluSC duulL ID WOlIh " lAO oIutC
$1,000. If a young man of from 20 to %
years of age loses his life, it will cost
$1,000 to raise another up to the same
age and | am sure that any father who
is engaged in the pleasurable occupation
of raising a family of boys will deny
that it can be done so cheaply. But on
this estimate, this government is losing
$4,000 times $1,000, or $50, 900, 900 nnu
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 a shorter time than
three months. However, we will make
our estimate on the supposition that
the average time lost from work by a
man sick with this disease amounts to
500 1000 times % days, or $4,000, 900
days, which is equivalent to more
than 1886 years. %Supposing that the
time oil the individual is worth so cents
per day when he is we'll; this repre-
sents an actual loss of $4,000, 900 ann
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, 000, 900 added to
the $50, 900, 900 which are lost by death
makes a total sum of $64 900, 900, 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 fol-
the ignorance and carelessness which
W. exercise in allowing this p~reventa-
BILE disease to prevail among us.
II have said that typhoid fever is q
pTeventable disease, and that the large
number of deaths from this disease il
unnecessary. This is true, not ONLY
theoretically, but practical demonstra
lions are not wanting. Prior to 1859
the city of Munich, in Bavaria, was {
ycritable hotbed of typhoid fever
There were no sewers and no public
water supply. Most of the houses wert
furnished with large brick or wooder
flues, which were built from the cellal
up through the different floors. Int,
these the excretions from the bod!
were dropped and accumulated in tn
! cellars. Other waste material was de
3 posted in cesspools and garbage wa
thrown into back yards. The air IL
the houses was foul and offensive t
the sense of smell. The drinking wa
ter was taken from shallow wells il
the yards, and these often received tn,
! ooze from the ~cesspools and vaults. II
1859 the citizens were compelled Il
l seal tightly the bottoms and sides o
these receptacles Of filth, and, later
Q a system of sewerage was introduced
and later still a supply of WHOLESOME
drinking water was obtained. Not
withstanding the fact that portions O
the city still remained unsewered a
the time of the last report, the result
! have been most gratifying. From 1875
! to 1859, the typhoid deaths per 100
l in Munich averaged 24.2. This ha
{ been gradually decreased until, in 1884
: IL was Ia per 1000.
: "This shows what has been done Il
an old and crowded city, and Vienn
y has practically repeated the demon
. STATIONS made by Munich. The ms
jority of cases Of typhoid fever arise
from a. contaminated water. That
drinking water infected with the dis
charges Of a person sick with typhoi
fever may cause an epidemic of tn
disease there can no longer be an
doubt. The records Of sanitary SC
ence abound in histories of such case
Every physician of large experieno
j, with this disease can detail one G
more instances in which the diseas
has Leen clearly traced to infected VIZ
! ter, and I will consider that this meti
cd of the dissemination of the diseas
4 is recognized by all. 1t probably is
safe estimate to say that bad drinkin
water causes not less than 40,0(
deaths each year in this country"
d CLUB NOTES.
{. Allerton.-Dr. David H. Reeder, Lit
u porte, Ind.-Dear Doctor: have
;. growth in nv neck inst In thn loft I