The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-21

the possibility of solid food without smacl1ing their lips and concluding that life is worth living after all.
 The layman with healthy appetite would have found cause to smile had he heard Dr. Dock tell of instances where physicians who were stricken with ty- phoid, after tiring of the awful monotony of liquid diet, had tried the solid food, and had expressed themselves delighted with the result. A decline in the pop ularity of packing ice and ice-rubbing, noted by Dr. Dock, was also a mind re- liever.
 The session was enlivened with detail descriptions of the removal of gall stones and the surgery connected with gall blad- der trouble which follows typhoid fever. A number of these cases were of almost a miraculous nature.
 Dr. Hardee Johnston opened the sym posium on typhoid fever with a paper giving "A Study in Etiology and Treat ment." He began with the assertion that to find the cause Of infection which re- suits in epidemics all over the country carrier must be found which will op- crate in any climate and under varying conditions. Taking up water, Dr. John ston said that in the summer months when typhoid Is prevalent the water sup plies are in better condition than at oth- CT times. He declared that the epidemics over the country cannot be ascribed to 0 sudden infection of the milk and pointed out cases of typhoid where there was no use of milk whatever
 Taking up the fly he said that typhoid fever was no more prevalent among the poor and filthy where flies abound than among the rich and san itary homes. His argument, backed up by statistics gathered in Washing ton, was to the effect that the young and more active, the men who get around and come in contact more with the dust are more often attacked; that hackmen railroad men and messengers were more often victims while the in- mates of the District of Columbia in- sane asylum were entirely immune.
 Dr. Johnston said that under pres ent sanitary rules there Is not so much chance for storing the new bacilli, but that in laying pipe and digging trenches or foundations bacilli are lib- erated which had been stored in the ground before municipal sanitation had begun.
 pr. George Dock of New Orleans then read his paper on "The Pathology. and Treatment of Typhoid Fever" He compared the epidemic in New Orleans to those of oth CT localities and found that the nature of the cases was everywhere the same After discuss ing in detail the symptoms and the recognition of the germ through cul- lures and tests, the speaker took up the manner of treatment He admit ted that there is something in the pre- vention by vaccination, but hoped that 1t would not become popular as 1t would result in a sanitary carelessness that would be very harmful. While he knew of no specified medication for the disease. he said that in some cases antiseptics are often useful.
 He discussed the usefulness of bath ing in tub, for stimulating the ner- vous system, and thought that packing ices or ice rubbing or sprinklng with the watering pot not so useful as tub ping. The use of laxatives was dis cussed and then feeding was taken up. While empha asking the dangers of care less feeding, he said that patients can be fed more than often occurs. He prescribed a list of real edibles such as cereals. junket milk toast and oth- CT light food and told how some doc tors who had been patients had found relief from the monotony of liquid diet. He said that it prevents the rav- enous appetite which comes in conval- essence and often causes a relapse.
 pr. B. M. Prince of Birmingham read paper on "Cholecystitis as a Compli- cation and Ssquela of Typhoid Fever"