Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1910-06-01
Typhoid Time at Hand.


will begin to increase very rapidly,
and 10y the end OF the summer
we will have ten thousand cases
of the disease and about one
thousand death from il. We have
suffered from typhoid for so
many years that these facts,
striking as they are, fail to
interest us, and yet when we
consider the enormous amount
OF suffering and sorrow and death,
and the enormous loss to the State
in dollars and cents, it is appalling.
The annual waste Of at least
So, 900, 900 is needless and could
easily be prevented at trifiing
expense.
Tie rules tor prevention of
typhoid fever are simple and easily
understood, and comprise no I'M
usual features and no unreasonable
demands. The first and most inn
pOrtaut thing is the rigid dis
infection of all the discharges from
the first cases Of the disease. If
the cases occurring in May were
properly cared for and the infecti-
Gus material completely destroyed.
the cases in June, July, and August
would be very few in number.
Our people must learn that typhoid
cases, while not contagious in the
ordinary use of that term, spread
the disease to those about them
with great ease unless proper pre-
cautions are taken. They must
learn that the discharges from
typhoid cases are more dangerous
to the community when not dis
infected than any known poison or
explosive. We must see that a
wall OF prevention is built around
every typhoid case so strong that
no germs may escape into the
world at large.
In addition to guarding the
known cases of the disease. we
must treat all human discharges as
If they were infected. Every farm
should be provided with a closet so
constructed as to keey the material
dry and off the ground, and
screened, against flies. This closet
should be cleaned as often as neces-
sary, and the material from it
carried to a distance and buried at
least one foot underground. 1t is
necessary not only to provide a
closet, but TO insist that every
member of the family and every
one about the place should use it.
and should use it always. The
pollution of the soil about the house
isdangerous in the extreme to every
one living on the premises, and
should be strictly prohibited.
The farm well, which is often a
source of danger, should be safe
guarded. Realizing that the most
common way in which wells are
polluted is through cracks in the
top. Every wells should have a
sound, tight, waterproof top, and
should be so arranged that surface
washings cannot enter il. A pump
Is best, as nothing need enter the
we'll under these conditions. If a
bucket is used it should be pro-
vided with mechanical tipping
device so that it need not be handled
by the hands. Wells are frequently
polluted by filth carried into them
by the bucket.
In our climate in the summer
the fly is dangerous nuisance, and
should be excluded from our houses
as completely as possible. Screens
are necessary for every window
and door, and those that get by
the screens should be poisoned or
caught in fly traps and on fly paper.
Rigid personal cleanliness is
absolutely necessary in the pre-
ventation of typhoid. The hands
should be carefully washed immed-
lately after using the toilet and
Immediately before every meal.
Finger typhoid, or typhoid carried
to our mouths on our fingers, is of
great importance.
Our servants should be carefully
supervised. If there is typhoid in
the family of your cook, house
servant, or washwoman, it is
cheaper, easier and better to get
new servants free from typhoid
infection than to nurse cases of the
disease.
In order to aid our citizens in
carrying these precautions into
effect, the State Health Depart
ment at Richmond has prepared
a series OF bulletins covering the
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