Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1908-08-21
at its fruit bearing age Of useful citi-

OF prevention OF a most important
medical fraternity alone. but today
the boy or girl OF twelve or fifteen
years is badly educated whu does not
know that the mosquito conveys the
infection and that they breed in stag
nant water, This has been accom-.
plished for the most part. by the
teachers of the public schools, in
teaching the elements OF hygiene in
the school courses, so that these chill
dren go out into the world at the end
OF their school careers with the funda-
mental ideas of the dangers which be-
set society from contagious diseases
and a general conception of the proper
method of combating them.
1t is therefore with the idea in mind
of giving you such Information regard
ing the origin, spread. and methods
of presentation of a most important
one of these infectious diseases that l
have been asked to speak to you to-
day.
The cause Of all contagious diseases
we now believe to be due to some of
he various micro-organisms. The
/ greatest number are due to a class
hilbM II DIS DttNtI Id. llbSt are illIttO-
SCOPE bits OF protoplasm representing
the very lowest form Of vegetable life.
They require for their growth and de-
velopment heat, moisture and organic
matter, all of which they find in our
economy and having these essentials
they develop simply by division, one
bacteria dividing into two new ones;
and this they do exceedingly rapidly
so that one bacteria will, within twen-
ty-four hours, produce about one hun
dred million millions.
Just as we ourselves, in our devel-
opment, eat food and cast off the
refuse which the body cannot make
use of. so bacteria, in their develop
ment, eXcrete products and these are
very poisonous substances, in most in
stances to the human being. These
substances are called oXins or poisons
and it is in the most cases these pois-
ons which give rise to the fever, de-
lirium ana commissions, which are the
symptoms of the contagious diseases.
For each Of the contagious diseases
there is a peculiar bacteria which Is
the causative agent, without which the
disease cannot be produced. Typhoid
fever cannot be produced by the
bacillas of d|iphtheria or any other eX-
cept the bacillus typhosus.
owing to the different ways in which
they grow on gelatine, agar, potato,
bullion, milk, etc, the bacteriologist
may tell the different bacteria one
from another, Just as the chemist may,
by his different colored precipitates,
differentiate one metal from another
in an unknown solution containing any
number of metals. or the botanist
tell you the name of a particular plant
from the peculiarities which it has in
the number of stamens and petals and
the characteristics of its stem and
leaves.
Methods of Preventing Typhoid.
on account of its prevalence and its
popularity in attacking those of school
age and of the fact that so much can
be done in its prevention by education
| am going to speak to you today OF
the origin, spread, and methods Of
prevention of typhoid fever.
Its Cause.
The disease is caused by getting the
small vegetable organism. the bacillus
typhosus. into the alimentary canal
Unless this bacillus enters the body
there can be no typhoid. This bacillus
when il enters the body does SO usual
" by way of the mouth with food or
drink and the organism lodges in the
intestincs and here muliplics M gives
rise to liberation of the bowel and later
by abrasions produced in the small
blood vessels in the intestine gets into
the blood and is carried To- AN parts
of the body.
The baciIli leave the body of the
patient in all the excavations ia emo
nous numbers. Hence all 90 thc.c
substances are particularly dams" ."ds
and TO come in contact with thom. or
in contact with anything which has
been soilcd by them, is to invite in
lection in ones self.
The Prevalence OF Typhoid Fever.
This disease is found through the
world and there are few communities
pass a year without a case of the
disease cropping up; but | wish to inn
press two points upon you. Fms IN
respect 10 typhoid fever and the com
munity. a large death rate from this
disease means ignorance. There is no
way of better estimating the degree OF
civilization or education of q commu
nifty. than to look upon its typhoid
death rate. Second, i'm regard to the
household. every case of typhoid origi-
mates from some ones ignorance or
someone's negligence. If from negii
scnrc il cannot Ice too strongly %
and If from ignorance it can
not be too quickly corrected 10y rdu-
Beware the Bacillus.
The prevention of the disease the
,reticaIly is simplicity itself, 10 not
swallow the bacillus Of typhoid But
keep away from a thing 81" small
it cannot be- seen is not always
So easy. A.
Practically prevention Of tho disease
resolves itself into four lines of de-
LIST. The duty of the physician
md. The duties of the household i'm
which the disease occurs. Bird. The
of the public authorities and,
ith. the duties of the educators ,
list The duties of tho physician.
His duties are chiefly to the patient
With instructions to the family AS to
and regulations concerning the
disinfcction of the patient. his
discharges. bedding. etc., which must
10 carried out either by the uurs" or
more frequently by one Of tho family