The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-07-26
HEALTH BOARD
GIVES Warming
Eternal Vigilance Necessary
During Summer Months
When Typhoid Begins.
PERIL OF CONTAMINATION
GREATEST DANGER Turks IN
WATER AND MILK.

The state board of health yesterday
issued n circular letter to the health
officers throughout the state, in which
attention is called to the fact that this
is the season of the year when the
greatest danger lies in contaminated
milk and water ana improper sanitary
conditions. The health officers are
urged TO be extraordinarily Vigilant.
The letter, which Is issued over the sig
nature of DR.. Il. B. Beatty, the secre-
tary, reads:
Health officers should be impressed
with the special necessity for vigilance
during the summer months in which
intestinal diseases prevail and the in
crease in typhoid fever begins, as
many lives may be saved and much
suffering prevented by timely action.
The foregoing diseases are usually con-
veyed through contaminated water or
contaminated milk, and every effort
should be made to safeguard these sub
stances.
In many localities irrigation bitches
are used as a source Of drinking water.
JIM all such cases strict precautions
should be taken 10 prevent their poliu-
ton, and the watersheds should be
protected. Surface wells, which are so
generally used, are liable To dangerous
contamination by drainage from vaults
.dltu the law liA1
distance between them should be en-
forced. In any case, if there is reason
TO suspect the purity of the water sup
ply, people should be advised to boil
water used for culinary purposes, and
health officers are requested 10 report
the fact to the state board of health,
Danger in Milk.
Contaminated milk is extremely
Dangerous at this season and is respon-
sible for most of the cases of summer
complaint in infants, as well as many
cases of typhoid fever and other dis
eases. By strict supervision of the
milk supply and care in handling the
milk after delivery, these diseases may
by greatly restricted. Diaries should
by inspection and their sanitary opera
ton. including thorough cleanliness
and the sterilization of utensils, rigid
" insisted upon. Milk should at all
times be protected from flies, as 1t is
a culture medium for the disease germs
that may be carried upon their legs
1t should also be cooled at the time OF
milking and kept cool until used. Milk
should not be sold from premises on
which there is a case of contagious
disease. including intestinal disease III
infants In all cases of typhoid fever
the source of the milk and water used
should be ascertained. The state board
OF nta.ln VIII FAUST TIC NhbNANNiiA' 49,
20 be applied free of charge TO COWS
suspected of having tuberculosis, ano
notification Of such cases should be
made to the board.
General Sanitation.
Premises should be kept in as per
feet sanitary condition as possible
Garbage, manure and other filth should
be frequently removed. These mate
rails furnish the breeding place for flies
and otherwise are injurious To the
health In a former bulletin the dan
ger from flies and the Importance OF
preventing them from breeding anc
from entering houses was described
and is again emphasized. 1t is of th'
utmost Importance that all vaults
should be kept i'm a sanitary condition
and lime and dry earth should b'
freely used in them. Failure TO OBJ
serve these precautions is responsible
for many cases of typhoid fever an'
other intestinal diseases In TINS con
nection you are urged to strictly en-
force section /, chapter 81, of the stat
law. reuuirins the thorough dlslnfec
ton of typhoid eXcreta. People shoul'
also be instructed to disinfect ecret'
in cases of intestinal diseases OF IN
fants, being reminded that therein !
given off the infective material which
NAV be deposited in milk by flies an
TINS infect other infants. This is with
OUT doubt one of the most common
methods by which the disease is con