Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-12-05
TYPHOID AND ITS CAUSE.

Typhoid fever seems to be on the
rampage again. II comes with the fan
of the year and the fall of the leaf,
This time 1t IS quite malignant and
has fatally seized several victims The
death-rate, however, Is not so great as
IN other places from a similar cause. 1t
is claimed by many persons. able phy-
sicIans included, that there Is no need
for typhoid to continue to exist in these
parts. With our fine climate. with
water supply supposed to be pure, the
food market thoroughly inspected, and
numerous surroundings conducive to
health, 1t Is thought that this region
ought TO be exempt from many OF the
Ills which flesh is heir to.
Take II on the whole Salt Lake city
and Utah generally are blessed with
general health, and the death-rate IL al
low figure But epldemlcs occasional
ly sweep over sections Of the country
Unexpectedly and without traceable
cause. They are among the mysteries
of actual life. II Is alleged by scienti-
fic medical men that the germs OF ty-
phoid are conveyed to the human body.
not by inhalation. nor by ordinary in
fectlon, but by food or drink chiefly the
latter. II is claimed that In nearly all
cases that have been Investigated. ty-
phoid epldemics have been traced 10 the
M 10 Eaa 81
most an established theory that typhoid
comes from impure water.
In opposition to this Il is declared
that In many cases, some of them fatal
the water used by the patients has been
analysed and pronounced free from ty-
phold germs, At the time Of wide
spread attack OF the disease II was
claimed that 1t came from the use OF
so-called artesian water, but when it
attacked people who did not use that
Kind OF drinking fluid, II was suggested
that II was from we'll water OF other
kinds, or from the streams that supply
the city but in each Instance chemical
tests failed to find in II any germs.
The health authorities Of this city and
state have published. repeatedly in.
structions in regard to the disposal of
the excavations from typhoid sufferers.
The excreta should be thoroughly disln.
fected and disposed of as quickly AZ
possible by burial in the ground, and
that not In any place near to a water
supply. These precautions ought To be
followed rigidly and implicitly and 50
with other Instructions issued by the
health authorities. When typhoid
abounds, water used for drinking pur-
poses should be boiled, food should b,
thoroughly cooked, and every rule es-
taolished to prevent the spread Of the
disease should be compiled with.
And yet, after all, there appears TO
be something about the conveyance of
this disease that Is not fully compre-
hended, even by the most competent
analysts and the most dlllgent sclen-
tiilc inquIrers. But examinations into
the matter have not reached a flnallty.
and We believe that new discoveries viii
reward the continuous explorations into
the domain OF disease, and that other
causes than those that have been ac-
cepted win be found. and then meas
ures to prevent the spread and the IA
talities attending typhoid viii follow
In due course, Meanwhile let every
precaution advised by the best authorl.
ties be adopted whenever the disease
appears