The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1909-09-08
TYPHOID FEVER
Is the Most Preyentable OF All
Diseases Known.
Circular Issued By the State
Board of Health
TO THE PEOPLE OF KENTUCKY.

pie to increasing prevalence ant
mortality from typhoid fever anC
to the consequent growing i'm
portantance of the constant use
of the methods endorsed and con
frmed by scientific research anc
observation for the prevention OF
the disease. An average of 13..
305 cases of this disease and l ,579
deaths are reported in Kentucky
every year, chiefly confined to
people in the prime of life and
usefulness.
Typhoid fever is probably the
most preventable of all diseases,
not even excepting smallpox. 1t
is now definitely known that, like
cholera and dysentery, the germs
of the disease are contained only
in the discharges from the bowels
/
and kidneys of those sick of it,
and that it is necessary for person
to swallow some of such discharg-
es, or things polluted by them, in
some way, in order to contract the
disease. They usually gain en-
trance to the system through in
fected water from wells or streams
draining inhabited areas, and pol
luted by infected focal matter, or,
in small unsewered town and
country districts especially, such
matter may be crrried by flies and
deposited on the food, utensils and
hands in unscreened kitchens and
dining rooms, The germs may
also be carried on the hands of
careless attendants or on sOiled
clothing, or indirectly. by using
milk or other articles of uncooked
food or drink from cans and YES
sells washed in infected water Ice
from infected water is also danger
Gus, as it has been proven that
freezing does not kill the germs.
In the noted epidemic at Ply
mouth, Pennsylvania, involving
the sickness of 1,104 persons. and
the death of III, the outbreak
was traced to the use of water
from a stream infected by the dis
charges from one imported case.
In the fatal epidemic which
chung to our military camps dur
ing the Spanish-American war,
flies were found to be the princi-
pal carriers of the disease by the
United States Commission APP
pointed to investigate the origin
of the outbreaks. BY the use of
white powder sprinkled oyer the
discharges in the latrines, thous-
ands of these pests were tracked
direct from these and found COW
ering the food, hands and uten-
sis in the kitchens and mess rooms
of the common soldiers. Cultures
taken from the feet, legs, bills and
intestines of these flies showed the
germs of typhoid fever in count
less numbers.
Based upon the teachings of the
foregoing facts, the following
rules have been prepared;
| When it 10 known or suS-
pected that a person has typhoid
fever, he should be placed IN a
large, well ventilated room, with
the windows and doors well screen
led, and preparation should be
made for the thorough disinfcc-
ton of all discharges from the
bowels and kidneys.
= A solution of chloride of
lime, eight ounces to the gallon of
water, should be provided in
quantity, and a quart of this
should be put in the bed-pan or
vessel each time before it receives
the discharges, and should be well
stirred and allowed to stand in
the vessel at least one hour before
it is einptied. An equivalent So
luton of creolin, or a thick white
wash made from fresh quick lime
may be used in the same way
when chloride of lime can not be
obtained, but with these at least
tuo bourc will bo nominal 70 onp,