The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-09-09
PROTECTION AGAINST TYPHOID

In view of the discovery Of a mum
ber of cases of typhoid fever among
residents on the banks Of Big Cotton
wood, DR., T. b. Beatty Of the Stat,
Health Board wishes To emphasize thu
danger which will continue to threaten
the lives Of the people until more strin
gent measures for safeguarding the
water supply arc adopted and enforced
The Tribune concurs in this opinion OF
DR.. Beatty, The thorough patrolling OF
the stream is an absolute essential
Campers are notoriously careless, and a
mere perfunctory patrolling counts for
nothing. There should be due warning
to campers IN the canyon, with explicit
| instructions on the precautions that
must be taken in order to prevent the
fouling of the stream. 1t is idle to
patrol little, and a waste of money
Unless the patrolling is effective, it
might as well not be done at all. The
patrolmen should have a few plain rules
prominently printed to hand to every
party of campers, and see that these
CONFORM 10 Unem.
1t is well known that the typhoid
fever is caused by specific infection
from germ known as the typhoid
bacillus, which comes from the excreta
of one who has had the disease. It is
not ordinarily observed in a chemical
analysis, but when swallowed it brings
on typhoid 1t must be swallowed be.
fore typhoid can exist in the system.
The remedy, therefore, is plain. As
stated in paper written last fall by
DR. Beatty, and heretofore referred to in
these columns, typhoid fever is the most
easily preventable Of all diseases. And
yet so little attention is paid to the pre-.
vention of this disease that it prevails
here and elsewhere at certain seasons,
but more notably in the fall after the
disease creating bacilli from camping
outfits in the canyon have had time to
get into the stream.
1t is probably quite true that with
the thorough patrolling of the canyons
where campers are, not alone Big Cot.
tonwood but Farley and City Creek
(the latter, however, far less liable to
typhoid could be entirely
evaded. The question for practical solu-
tion is one, therefore, that requires CO.
operation of the city authorities, the
county authorities, and the medical and
health boards. A Joint effort of these
units of authority could undoubtedly
stamp out typhoid in Salt Lake alto
gether.
Big Cottonwood appears to be CEN
ter of interest just now so far as this
matter is concerned. And by Big Cot
is meant the whole canyon, in
cluding Brighton. The regulation should
be strict by way of absolute prevention
Of fouling the waters of the stream, and
those campers at Brighton or elsewhere
who are found disregarding the regu.
ations set forth should be summarily
dealt with and expelled from the can
yon.
The cases reported from Big Cotton
wood raise the question ,ther the
waters of that stream are not already
Infected. If they arc, then heroic meas. |
lres VIII be necessary in this city to |
prevent an epidemic of this disease. All |
water should be boiled before using, |
md every precaution should be taken |
% prevent this dread disease from be- |
coming an affliction on the people. The
usual precautions are well known, these |
'eing thorough cleansing of the prem
scs, but specifically and faithfully, the |
thorough boiling of the water used for
thinking so that any germ in it, either
If typhoid or other disease, will be
titled.
There have been epidemics here from
lme to time In the fall, of typhoid
ever, evidently coming from fouling
he waters in the canyons. Sometimes
hese are quite severe, sometimes they
re light; but in every case it is clear
hat the epidemic can be absolutely pre-
'ented. The necessary precautions
ave not been taken this year, but it is
o be hoped that no other summer will
yer pass without thorough co operation
f all the forces necessary to absolutely
rotect the people of this city and of
his vallev from the danger of typhoid
ever, Since it is absolutely known that
his can be done, 1t is practically sui
ide for the people here to lie down and
It the disease proceed with its ravages
fthecked.