Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1908-08-21
TYPHOID FEVER ITS
CAUSES AND
PREVENTION
ADDRESS BY DIR, SMART TO
THE TEACHERS INSTITUTE
Veteran of Battles Against
Disease in Cuba and the
Philippines Has Timely ADJ
vice 10 Educators,

one of the most valuable papers
read before the observation-disclosures
county Joint teachers institute which
closed last week was that by Dr.. Rob
srt smart of this city, on the causes,
means and Infection and methods Of
areyentfou of the spread of typhoid
fever Dr.. Smart kindly consented at
the request of the Morning journal to
repuhllsh his paper which is in part
as follows and which is worthy the
careful ~perusal of the public:
There was a time in the history Of
the world when the practice of medi-
cine was %shrouded in mystery, the art
of healing in those days being r%elegat-
cd to the alchemists to many of whom
was conceded a superhumau power
TO cast out the demons of disease, the
secret for doing which was passed
down from one to his successor. But
happily those dark days are past and
with the enlightenment OF civilization
the advances made in medicine have
become public property and not only
Is it the desire that the discovery Of
one scientist, and any benefits derived
from it, should be known to other
PHYSICIANS but hat the public should
know of them so that the general
health of the community might be
improved thereby.
In no branch of medicine has so
much been accomplished within so
short a space of time as has been
done in hygiene, This has been made
possible chiefly through meteorological
research. BY this means the causa-
tive agent of a great number of the
infective diseases has been definitely
proved.
The cause having been determined,
We have been able to institute rational
methods of dealing with the infection,
with the result that many of the
plaques of Olden ftimes, which wiped
out large communities, are now i'm
mediatcly checked in their inCipiency
For instance, cholera, the great
scourge of the Orient, we know now
to be due to a certain organism which
passes from thef intestine of one sick
the disease the discharges of the
patient sooner or later find their way
into some stream or river. This water
therefore becomes contaminated and
persons drinking of II become them
ingselves infected with cholera.
We know also, that the heat Of boil
ing water will absolutely Kill the
germ; so that by the use of boiled
for drinking purposes, by es-
chewing of raw fruits mad vegetables
which might have been contaminated
by soiled chOleriC hands, one may live
with absolute security from cholera
in a country infected with it.
This was most thoroughly impressed
upon me in 1902 when | was with the
in the Philippines at the time
cholera was raging there.
In one village of I 500 persons there
We're 1000 cases and about 800 deaths
in two weeks amongst the natives;
the one hundred odd soldiers liv-
ing in the same village had not a
case.
Nor would this frightful death rate
have occurred amongst the natives had
it been possible to educate them of
the cause of the disease and its meth
cd of spread. But it was not.
TIL advanced hygienic condition OBJ
in the United States at pres
ent is due to popular education and
the laurel wreath for this must not
the brow of the family ply
stefan, but must go where il belongs
10 you, the great army of educators,
who sow the seed of hygienic knowl-
Edge i'm the growing child and who
watch it and rear it during its years
IF development and only leave it to
HEufR on aHIa~- v~l-. q h.a ,grfNr4L .