Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1906-06-22
DR.. FUTILE ON
TYPHOID FEVER
Secretary Of the State Board Of Health
Gives Out Paper on the
Disease.
ITS CAUSES AND PREVENTION
Danger From infected Water-How
to Kill the Germs-Some Time
~ Advice.

of health has directed it's secretary
DR.. Thomas D. futile. of Billings. to
prepare articles regarding the means
of transmitting and how to prevent
the spread of contagious diseases
This article is intended to tell the
people how to prevent typhoid fever
DR.. futile says:
Typhoid fever has prevailed
throughout our state during the en-
tire winter. This means that much
infected water has been disposed OF
in such a manner that the advent OF
spring and summer will mean great
seems to be common impression
that this disease is not as fatal in
Montana as it is in many of the east
ern states. This is a mistake. Mon
tana is not blessed in this particular
This is not guess work. The death
rate per capita is just as high in Mon
tana as it is in Ohio or any other
state. The death reports show this
to be true and a comparative state
ment of death per capita from this
disease in several states was publish
ed in some OF the newspapers of this
state early in the month. This state
ment is not made to brighten those
who may contract the disease, but to
induce the people to take the neces-
sary precautions to prevent it. For
those who may contract the disease
| will say that the death rate is not
nearly so high as it was a few years
ago. The cold bath treatment has
greatly reduced the mortality
For many years it was SUPPOSE
that typhoid fever was spread almost
ii not entirely, by water or milk This
teaching has resulted in a demand fol
an examination of the water supply
whenever case of typhoid fever ap
peared in community That typhoit
fever is frequently carried by watel
there is no question, but a careful
study of the subject has revealed The
fact that water is not only not the
sole bearer of the disease, but it doe.
not transmit it even in majority O.
the cases. The epilemics resulting
from water infection are given grea
prominence in the newspapers ant
this has resulted in the suppositol
that nearly all cases result in thi
way. In the entire number of case
appearing over the country We studied
it is Immediately apparent that tn,
vast majority do not belong to an,
epidemic, but appear in groups of two
three, five or ten at more or less sO
lated points. This fact does not SUP
port the water infection theory. II
the water were infected more cases
would appear in community and 9th
er communities using water from the
same source would be infected. Such
is not the case Water may be the
source of infection, but it is not al
ways the source, not even in the ma
jority of instances. The water may
or may not be infected Examination
may show it free from infection today
and tomorrow show it to be infected.
Analysis of the water will not help
to stop the disease and failure to find
the specific germ present in any sam
pie examined does not prove that the
water is not infected. The only safe
course to follow is to ignore all ques.
ton of analyses and boil all water
used for domestic purposes, for drink
ing, washing dishes, milk vessels or
anything else that may come in con.
tact with any articles Of food.
The object of this paper is to tell
the people how they may avoid infect
ing water supplies and how they may
avoid spreading the disease in other
ways than by injecting water. 1t must
be remembered that it makes no diff
ference how muddy, or ohw hard d
how alkali the water is it will no
cause typhoid fever unless the germ
may be present in the most beau
tiful water and not present in tn,
most unsightly.
Regarding Infected Water
How do waters become infected
The typhoid germ develops in thu
system of those suffering from thi.
disease. 1t is discharged chiefly il
the stools and urine Of the patients
These two excretia simply swarm with
these germs. While the stool or urine
is in a vessel il is a simple matte,
TO kill the germs. but when it i:
thrown out into the ground or into
closet they will live for from six Il
eight months, whether the weather be-
warm or the mercury stand far below
zero. Once thrown onto the groun,
or into closet they find their way
TO sources of water supply. The,
may reach the water by surface drain
age Or by seepage. The distance they
will travel by seepage will depend
largely, on the porosity of the ground
but an object however small, will nat
nrally be carried no small distance in
the course of six or eight months, n
matter how compact the soil, so Ions
as water will penetrate it. To say
that typhoid fever could not have
cOmp from, ynur watar boo,,oo