The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-10-11
Salt Lake Should Never Have
Had Epidemic, Says DR.. T.
B. Beatty, Secretary of State
Board of Health.
1T is EASIEST OF ALL
DISEASES TO PREVENT
Physician Tells How to Stop
COntagiOn and Exposes
Some Popular FaIIaCieS
Concerning Its Origin,

That the typhoid epidemic was to-
tally unnecessary and that the fever is
one of the easiest diseases to prevent is
the contention of DR.. T. B. Beatty. sec
rotary Of the state board OF health. In
a paper which DR.. Beatty has just pre-
pared he tells how the dread disease
originates and what steps are necessary
to prevent it. With the natural advan-
tages which Salt Lake has, DR.. Beatty
believes that the typhoid epidemic
should never have been allowed to OC-
cur here. Among other things in his
paper DR.. Beatty says:
Typhoid fever, the most easily pre-
vented Of all diseases, claims on an
average 300 victims annually in Salt
Lake City. Of these, thirty die, and
many are left with permanently i'm
paired health Severe suffering and
anxiety, loss Of time and expense are
involved in all cases. Ordinarily this de-
plorable state of facts excites little no
tice or concern, and it is only in the
presence of a sudden and widespread
epidemic that the public apathy is dis
turbed and alarm created.
Unfortunately the community IS at
the present time afflicted with a serious
not be lost to drive home to the public
intelligence ana conscience a realization
Of the conditions which are responsible
and the urgent necessity for such action
as viii insure against its repetition. 1t
is definitely and surely within the DOW
er of the people Of this city to adopt
measures that viii effectualIy and per
manently eradicate the disease, and if
they shall decide that this shall be aC-
complished, the severe and unnecessary
sacrifices Of the past six weeks will not
pave been in vain.
Causes Of Typhoid.
THE object of this paper is to outline
as briefly and directly as possible the
measures To which reference is made.
At the outset one essential and all inn
gOrtant fact should be understood and
constantly borne in mind. Typhoid fe-
yer is a specific infectious disease caused
by a germ, known as the typhoid bacil-
lus, given off in the eXcreta from a
former case, and can be caused by no
other means. The belief held by many
Of the laity that filth, decayed vegeta-
zion or the dead bodies of animals can
cause it OF that il originates from any
other vague or intangible source
should once and for all be discarded. as
It has been proven to be totally un-
founded II should be further under
stood that in order to contract the dis
ease the germs must be swallowed.
In view of this fact il can readily be
seen that preventive measures should
first be directed to the destruction Of
the germs as they leave the body, and
if in all cases that object were accom-
plished ii is obvious that no other mea-
sures would be required to bring about
the total extinction Of the malady.
ITO this end the law requires the dis
infection of typhoid exCreta and in order
TO promote the enforcement Of the mea-
sure provides that physicians shall re-
port all cases of the disease: but until
an awakened public sentiment shall de-
mand strict compliance with the law
other measures are necessary to safe
guard against the consequences Of its
neglect.
Typhoid fever results from swallow
ing water or food contaminated by I'M
disinfected eXcreta from a former case
of the disease which has reached these
substances through drainage, on the legs
Of flies or by other means. The present
epidemic IS an illustration of the man
ner in which this occurs. A careful
study Of the cases and their distribution
cOnvicts one source Of the infection, and
inCriminates two others, one or both Of
which are responsible.
Flies Infect Milk.
About % per cent Of the cases have
occurred among the consumers Of milk
from several diaries located within close
Continued on Page 2.