The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-02-19

pure air, lack Of sunshine. overcrowding
improper and insufficient FOOD. the excess
sive use of alcohol. cverwoTk and all other
influences that cause impaired nutrition
and lowered vitality
''The tubercle bacilli gain entrance TO
the body chiefly through air which has
been contaminated with dust from dried
sDutum- Also in milk from tuDsTculous
cows and meat of tuberculous animals.
They may attack any organ Of the
body. They usually attack the lungs. AMI
the disease is then known as eonsump-
ton.
THE coBsumptive patient gives off IN
his sDUtum vast numbers of baeilt. and
if precautions are not taken to destroy
them. they are liable to be carried to other
persons who. if susceptible. viii contract
the disease.
Files frequently convey the infection.
having been contaminated by coming IN
contact with moist sputum.
The .eonsumptive patient should destroy
all sDutum and instructions for his guild
ancs are furnished in a circular by the
state board of health"
Preventive Measures.
Following this, the report gives list
lows:
Ed cation of the public and the con-
sumptive patient by means of the public
press. the dissemination of literature. in
struction in the schools, formation OF So
cieties, etc.
Strict compliance with the law requir-
ing PHYSICIANS To fillIlfuldtt#N IeDbtl Tie
disease to the board of health.
Careful surveillance Of the case by the
beard of health during its entire course
and the enforcement of preventive pre-
cautions The enforcement of splitting
laws.
"The early diagnosis of the disease,
which is alike of the utmost importance
to the patient and tine public
The tuberculn testing of cows and
careful inspection of meat and milk.
THE establishment by the state of
public sanatorium for the isolation and
treatment of the early cases of the dis
ease, and hospital for insurables.'
Pneumonia.
1t is stated that there is a steady in-
crease in the death rate from the deadly
disease pneumonia. the total number OF
deaths reported for last year being 475,
compared with 421 for 1907 and 333 for
! 1906. This is excessive and alarming. be-
! ing Il per cent Of the total deaths for the
year, and pneumonia was the principal
cause of sdeath.
DIR. Beatty urges that pneumonia is con-
I tagious and should be promptly reported,
as required by law. and says that per-
| sons affected should use the same pre-
cautions in the care of sputum as in tu-
| beculosis. Faulty ventilation Is given as
| the most important cause of pneumonia,
and the most effective method of retrict-
/ ing this menace to the state is given as
education.
People must be made to understand
| that pneumonia is contagious. says DR..
/ Beatty in his report. land those who are
susceptible to the cortagion are those
who breathe the deadly. impure air found
/ in so many tightly closed, unventiated
houses, or whose powers Of resistance are
| otherwise lowered by unsanitary condi-
tons or UnhyEienic living. This is also
/ largely true of all other contagious dis
| eases"
Typhoid Fever.
Typhoid fever. which Dr. Beatty de-
| clares is the most easily and surely pre-
vented of all diseases. continues to claim
many victims, although in decreasing
/ numbers He says that if the laws re-
quiring disinfeCtion of the discharges
I from patients affected with the disease
We're. complied with, the disease would
soon become a thing of the past in Utah.
/ The disease original ties from germs given
/ off in the discharges of a former case.
and in no other way. There are dangers
of dissemination through undisinfected
/ discharges which may reach wells
/ other sources of water used for drink
ling. or may be carried on bodies of flies
/ to milk and other foods.
| Reference is made in the report to a
| recent instance in Salt Lake county where
/ typhoid fever appeared at the same time
/ in twenty-six families in one neighbor-
/ hood and where investigation showed that
the families all used milk from the same
dairy and that a case of typhoid fever
| had occurred on the dairy premises the
| preceding year The report reads:
/ The germs from the undisinfected dis
| charge which had been deposited in a
/ vault were carried by flies to the near
by milking place, with the result stated.
| The simOie observance OF the pTecaution
of destroying or disinfecting the dis
| charges in accordance with the law would
4 have prevented the outbreak. Flies are
/ carriers of the typhoid and other conta-
sious disease germs and are responsible
4 for large percentage Of cases. Since
I 1905 the board has annually urged de-
struction and exclusion Of flies, as their
/ presence IS constant menace to life"
Smallpox.
Regarding smallpox the report reads as
Utah occupies an unfortunate and un-
usual position with relation to this dis
ease BY an act of the legislature in 1893
| the only power that car effectively pre-
vent it was abolished, namely. the au-
4 thority to require vaccination when in the
judgment of the board of health il Is
( deemed necessary
| This power and authority is so vested
/ in other states and enables the officials
when an epidemic threatens TO promptly
| forestall it by requiring the exclusion Of
| unvaccinated pupils from schools and
otherwise securing protection through
vaccination Added to the handicap re
suiting from the law above referred TO
there Is d widespread prejudice against
vaccination. which resulted from the per-
sistent efforts Of the so-called 'anti-vac-
/ Cinationists. II is hoped that in the
course of time people will intelligsutly
study the question on its merits and form
their own conclusions which must be
/ that vaccination is a safe and sure pre-
ventive of smallpox and the only means
of prevention.
Until this shall be- done and an en-
| lightened public sentiment demands the
repeal of the legislation above referred
to, Utah will continue to be a prey to
/ smallpox as it has annually for the past
nine years, more than ls.O09 cases OF the
| disease having occurred in the state since
! 1899
Defective Children.
! Reference is made to the interest taken
/ by the state board of health in urging
proper provisions for the care of men
! tally defective children. The position is
! taken that the state has a moral obiga-
ton in this respect that it cannot right
! fully escape and that such care is also
| necessary for the protection of society
/ and the prevention of the propagation OF
| the unfit. An inquiry addressed to the
| health officers of Utah dicloses the fact
I that there are not less than 400 feeble
/ minded children in the state. most OF
whom should be cared for in an insti-
tuition which would provide for their train
I ing and Improvement to the extent Of their
/ capacity
Measles and Whoopine Cough.
/ 1t is stated in the report that excessive
( prevalence and total death rate that
| has been greater than in the cases OF
] L