Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1907-01-17

In open trenches ana no care was
taken to prevent flies from crawling
over it. The only change made was
to place orderlies in charge Of the
trenches whose sole duty II was 70
see that all excrement was promptly
and carefully covered with lime.
This simple precantion promptly.
arrested the epidemic which up to
that time was spreading like wild
fire. / have seen similar conditions
many times about country houses.
Where flies are numerous 10 the
sick room and are allowed to crawl
about the patient and have access:
to soiled clothing and uncovered
excrement particularly ifthe dejecta
are thrown out Co the ground or
into an open vault new cases In that
neighborhood are almost sure to de.
velop. Small villages III the coun-
try that have no board Of health or
sanitary officials are almost sure to
have, in the back yards Of the houses
one or more, sometimes many OF
these neglected vaults. containing
myriads Of typhoid germs to be dis
tributed BY flies year after year
Washington City. still has more
than a thousand OF these objection
able closets and this year typhoid
was unusually prevalent there des-
pite the fact that the new filtration
plant Of the mostapproved construc-
tion has been in successful operation.
The water supply Il now good but
the flies are still spreading the
disease. In our own county the
past year we had very widespread
epidemic of typhoid but II suddenly
ceased TO spread when the weather
got cool aud the flies went out OF
business. This would not have
been the case II the water bad been
the source Of infections. AS the
typhoid bacillus is not killed by
freezing | shall expecs 70 see more
cases when the flies get busy next
summer. Typhoid baccilli multiply
rapidly in milk aud there have been
a number Of epidemics traced 70 the
milk supply. The germs may be
carried 10 the milk by tIies orifthey
are in the water may be introduced
by washing the cans.
Like Typhoid Fever. Malaria Is
carried by an insect 1t can not be
given In food or drink. A friend 81
mine says be does not believe In
malarious countries, he believes To-
maIarious mosquitoes. But two
facts are often lost sight of. viz; that
the mosquitoes never get the disease
from each other, and that the mos.
quitoes do not carryihe disease over
winter. II there were no malarious
people there would be no malarious
mosquitoes. for thedisease 10 be per.
petuated must be carried over win.
ter in the body of person. Nov
since every case Of malaria in this
climate may be promptly cured BY
taking the right thing al the right
time il is much easier TO cure all
the people than 10 kill al the NOS
qnItoes and an ounce ofcureis worth
a pound Of prevention.
The Plasmo,liam Malariae the little
organism FIRST described by the
French Army surgeon Layereau lisa
very minute body which lives inside
the blood cells Of the human body.
IL there undergoes o multiplying
process which causes the destruc.
tion Of the cells. When a crop OF
the young organisms hatch out all
at once the chill occurs. Now that
is the time, that the organisms are
young and easily killed by The pro.
per remedYa soluble preparation Of
quinine administered under the di-
rection Of an educated physician who
has studied the needsof that person.
II person with malaria attempts 10
treat himself without the advice Of
q physician he win probably make
some mistake In time. preparation
or dosage that will result In the dis
ease remaining longer ID his System
than necessary and he becomes an
infection to the mosquitoes and the
people around him. Thirty years
ago MalariaI ievers were far more
prevalent all over Maryland than
they are at present and there are
only a few localities close to the
large cities where the disease Is
still found. ! think this change
has probably been wrought by the
good work Of our physicians whose
work today Is far more efficient than
1t used TO be and who can certainly
cure practically every case Of the
disease II given fair chance. Tuber-
culosis Is the most universal scour9e