Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1909-08-24
VACCINE FOR TYPHOID
PROVES A SUCCESS
Renders Patient Immune TO
Dread Disease.
Experiments on Army
Men Have SO Far
Been a Success.

| antl-typhO1d vaccine which is being
tiled :. 1oughout the army.
The use of this vaccfne-it is not q
serum-in the American army was
recommended by a distinguished
group of medical scientists brought
together as an army board. This
board met in April, 1908. Its members
were eminent medical men from va
rious states who belong to the army's
medical reserve corps and others rec
ognized as the nations leading medf-
cal scientists
kean Tells of the Work.
When the board composed of these
eminent members of the army reserve
corps met in the spring of 1908" said
Lieut.. Col. Kean, they heard an inter
esting report from Major Russell OF
his studies in England and Germany
OF typhoid incubation This parttcu-
lar. form of vaccine is the discovery Of
Col. Wright of the British army. where.
it has been very successfully used
That board proceeded to review
the history of vaccine as a method of
protecting troops against typhoid The
experience of both the English and
the German colonial armies was con
sidered. The theory on which Tie
practice of the use of vaccine is based
as we'll as many details involved In
carrying out the procedure were stud
led, as was also the probable effect
on the medical profession and the
public at large in the United States
AS a result of it's discussion, the
board was convinced that the practice
of anti-typhoid vaccine is both useful
and harmless, and that it offers
practicable means of diminishing the
amount of typhoid fever in the army
both in times Of peace and war.
THE board also found that the ex-
pertinent up to that time with anti-ty-
phoid vaccination justified it in recon-
mending the Introduction of the prac-
tice in the regular and volunteer ar
war
The board recommended the imme-
date Introduction of the practice of
voluntary vaccination against typhoid
in the army hospital corps, the army
nurse corps and in any expedition Of
troops from the regular army which
is ordered to take the field for active
operations; and further, that an OPP
portunity be given to volunteers from
the army as a whole to be protested
by vaccination against typhoid"
Vaccination Voluntary.
Major Russell of the Army Medical
Museum was given charge of the di-
rect preparation of the vaccine and it's |
distribution to all medical officers of
the army making acquisitions for it. |
THE work" said Lieut.. Col. Kean, |
began with the army hospital corps
first They are more exposed to ty-
phoid, perhaps, because they are call
ed upon to nurse it in the hospitals
and posts
This vaccination is not compulsory, |
but purely voluntary, but it's value has
been recognized officially, and each |
surgeon advises the army hospital |
corps men under him to be vaccinated. |
1t has already been ascertained that it |
has been very successful in a majority |
of cases."
DO you find any objection among
the hospital corps men to being vac
cinated?" Lieut.. Col Kean was asked
Not at ALL" he replied AT the
new Walter Reed Army General Hos
pital, near Washington, there was
only one man among $50 members OF
the hospital corps stationed there who
declined to be vaccinated. Most of
the army officers who are assistants
to the surgeon general in this office, |
as well as their wives and children,
have already been vaccinated against
typhoid with this vaccine About
half of the officers on duty at the
Army War College who went on the
recent ride to the civil war battle
fields of Virginia have also been vac
cinated with it."
Not Dangerous to Patients.
rs it correct to call it serum?'
he was asked.
NO. replied Lieut. Col Kean. cit
it not a serum, but a vaccine. 1t is
manufactured at the Army Medical
Museum laboratory from cultures of
the typhoid bacillus that are steril-
led or killed, by heat Immediately
before the injection of the vaccine is
made into the human system. 1t is
injected with a hypodermic syringe,
not scratched on the arm, as is the
case of the smallpox vaccination.
The injection is made into the arm.
1t makes no sore, but causes a tempo
rary swelling and lump in the arm.
These disappear, however, after q
hours, and no scar is left behind, as
in the case of the smallpox VAGINA
tIoIs Those who are vaccinated with
this new typhoid vaccine feel bad for
few hours after the injection, which
is made deep enough to get it beneath
the skin, but no harm is done to the
person who is vaccinated We give
two vaccinations at intervals of from
10 days to two weeks apart
This vaccine is designed to pre-
vent the taking of typhoid, and not as
a curative. 1t would not do to give it
in typhoid cases, as that might be
dangerous; but as a preventive it is
perfectly harmless and successful. We
believe the statistics so far go to
show that the susceptibility in the
disease has been reduced about one
tenth what it was before the practice