The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1909-09-23
Fighting Contagious Diseases.

1
The following is supplement to the
Utah State Health Board Bulletin for
August, 1909.
SMALLPOX Contrary to the usual
experience. smallpox has been widely
prevalent during the summer months,
and there is reason to fear serious
epidemic of the disease during the APP
preaching winter. AS has been often
stated, Utah is relatively defenceless
against this disease because of the
peculiar and unusual prejudice against
vaccination, which is the only known
method of preventing it. Health off,
GERS and all interested in the public
welfare should do their utmost to
correct the unjust fled antagonism to a
measure which safely and surely pre-
vents this loathsome disease
All persons who have not been sue
cessfully vaccinated within seven
years should promptly have it per-
formed. School children especially
should be vaccinated because of their
greater liability to contagion in the
school room. 1t is for the people of
the State to elect whether they shall
avail themselves of measure which
will thoroughly and permantly eradi-
cate smallpox, as in other States, or
continue to submit as for ten years
past, to the annual visitation OF hun
dreds of cases.
WHOOPING COUGH The report
of deaths from whooping cough shows
an alarming increase, the number
being greater than those from scarlet
fever and diphtheria combined. The
efforts to stop its spread will become
effective only when the public shall
become educated to recognize the fact
that it is serious and deadly disease
and not the trivial affair which it is
considered by a majority of people, as
consequence of which no precautions
are taken to prevent its spread Among
infants no disease is more dangerous to
life and the after effects are very fire.
quently serious and permantly injurious
to those who survive.
1t is a criminal disregard of the law
to permit cases of whooping cough to
go at large or to associate with other
persons, and such cases coming to the
notice of health officers should be
prosecuted. AS the disease is not con-
veyed except by contact with the per-
son affected, it is unnecessary to quar-
antine other members of the family.
| TYPHOID FEVER 1t is gratifying
to note the reduction in the number of
reported deaths from typhoid fever
compared with those of the same month
in past years. 1t is reasonable to as
sumo that at least a part of this re.
duction is due to the more general
recognition Of the agency of flies in the
. spread of the disease and measures
adopted to destroy them and exclude
them from houses. Continued warfare
should be waged against these danger
GUS pests and especial precautions taker
to exclude them from sick rooms. Flies
which have become contaminated with
typhoid germs are particularly liable to
convey them to milk, either at dairy
before it is distributed. thus endanger
ing many consumers, or in the home
when not properly protected. Cases Of
typhoid fever which occur on the pre-
misses of dairy or in the vicinity of 1
: dairy, seriously menace the health ant
lives of all who use the milk therefrOn
and not only the discharges from sucf
cases be thoroughly disinfected but the
contents of the out houses used as &
receptacle for them should be covered
with unslaked lime Neglect of These
precautions is responsible for much OF
the spread of the disease. The milk
supply should be investigated in al
cases of typhoid fever, reported and the
investigation should include an inquiry
as to the present or past existence OF
typhoid fever at any place in the neigh
borhood of the dairy.
II r REATTY Coo