The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1911-07-12
MUCH TYPHOID FEVER FOUND
DISEASE PREVALENT THROUGH.
OUT DECATUR COUNTY.
Some Facts, Figures and Information
That May Be of Great Value in
Case of the Malady.


Typhoid fevel, while not as preva-
lent as malaria and hookworm dis
ease. exists in Decatur county to an
alarming extent. Unfortunately we
possess no statistics, but it is highly
probable that more than a thousand
deaths are occasioned annually in
Georgia as a result of this malady. 1t
has for some time been recognized
that typhoid fever is the most preva-
lent of all diseases, and if our people
would bestir themselves and carry
out the comparatively simple rules
necessary for it's prevention the dis
ease would in short time practi-
cally cease to exist amoEa us.
We will omit any description of
the symptoms and treatment of this
disease, as the purpose of this article
is merely to call attention to the
methods which should be adopted
for it's prevention.
1t is clear that typhoid fever is the
result of the entrance into the body
of a small germ, living something
which multiplies with great rapidity
under proper conditions, and escap-
ing from the bodies of those suffer-
ing with the disease in one way or
another. 1t is beyond question true
that the poison or the germs pass
from the bodies of those infected by
means of the urine and feces, and it
10 +hat tho carnations from no
mouth and nose frequently contain
the germs that cause the fever. AS
the germs are microscopic in size a
small amount of these excretions
might produce the disease in healthy
individuals if it were to get into their
bodies through food, water or milk,
or if it were to find Judgment about
the nose or mouth, or get upon the
hands of other persons. 1t should
also be remembered that the germs
may easily get upon cooking utensils,
drinking cups, bed linen and other
articles which we are constantly
brought into close contact with, and
that the disease might be contracted
this way. 1t is also rue that the
malady is carried from place to place
by insects, particularly by flies; the
latter may readily get enough infec-
tious material upon their legs in
various ways and then crawling over
food leave the deadly poison deposit
ed upon it.
Whenever possible persons with
typhoid fever should be completely
isolated, since if this is not done
other members of the family are sure
to contract it. They should be placed
IN an isolated room, which should be
thoroughly screened. The room
should be disineected before the pa
tient RECEIVERS. No one should visit
a typhoid fever patient except when
compelled to do so, and should be
particularly careful to prevent chill
dren from coming in contact with a
patient, as it has been shown that
they contract the disease much more
readily than grown people. 1t is al
so important that persons should not,
unless compelled, sit any length of
time in the room with a person suf-
fering from typhoid fever, and above
all under no circumstances should
cooking and eating be done in the
sick chamber.
tact with typhoid fever patients
should wear outer clothing which
can be easily washed and boiled. At
ter touching the patient or any of his
clothing, the hands should be at once
thoroughly scrubbed in an antiseptic
solution, especially before handling
any food. Of course 'nder no cir
cumstances should the nurse eat or
drink from the same vessels that the
patient uses.
None of the excretions from per-
sons afflicted with typhoid should ev-
er be emptied until thoroughly dis
infected, and under no circumstances
should these be poured out into the
neighborhood of springs and wells.
towels, handkerchiefs and clothing
mat come in contact with the patient
should be disinfected before being