Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-06-09
ANTI-TYPHoID VACCINE.

For the past several years the medi-
cal department Of the United States
army has been experimenting with an
anti-typhoid fever serum, and the use
Of the vaccine has now reached the
point where 1t Is accepted as an almost
certain preventive against typhoid in
fection.
Noticing in the newspaper dispatches
q few days ago that the war depart
ment had sent or was to send enough
Of the serum to North Carolina to vac
cinate 1000 men, DR.. M. ]. Walker
was asked about the serum and its use,
by a representative Of The Enquirer.
In reply to questions DR.. Walker said:
Yes, I know that the anti-typhoid
vaccine is being used in the regular
army and has been in use for two
years or more with marked success.
At the army surgeons training camp
at Antietam two years ago, a call was
made to all who would allow them
selves to be inoculated with the Sc
rum. The hospital corps almost to q
bly, the first incubation of troops In
any considerable number, though many
had been inoculated before that.
And on my recent trip to the army
manoeuvres in Texas / found that 1t
is now required that all soldiers be
inoculated. Since the use Of the Sc
rum has become general in the army
the percentage Of typhoid cases has
been reduced to the minimum-much
lower than it has ever been before.
"Out of $4,000 men," continued the
doctor, located in Texas, and coming
from everywhere, there has been but
one single case Of typhoid fever and 1t
was found on investigation that this
takt hnl hrA ht xrvfth
somewhere else, and had the fever
when he got to Texas. But the free
dom from fever in the Texas camps is
remarkable, because 1t Is well known
that when a large body of men are
placed in a camp for any length Of
time typhoid Is almost sure to appear.
There are many men who are chronic
carriers of typhoid germs and 1t Is
only a question of a short time in a
camp until the germs are thus spread
and the mischief Is done. But this
anti-typhoid vaccine has put an end
to this almost completely. After a
man Is vaccinated with the serum
he is immune for at least two years,
and for how much longer no one
knows"
In reply to the question as to wheth-
er this anti-typhoid serum was in use
outside of the army, DR.. Walker said:
No, not yet, but I presume it will be
after a while. AS soon as there Is a
demand for the serum 1t is probable
that manufacturing chemists will be
able to produce it and put it in the
hands of druggists and physicians ev-
erywhere for general use.
1.-The method Of using the serum Is
very simple. 1t is given in three parts
and is injected in the arm at the del
told muscle. After the first inocula-
ton a period of ten days is allowed
to elapse before the second injection,
and another ten days before the third
incubation, and as a preventive it Is
practically certain. At various army
posts inoculated men who volunteer
ed for the tests, have been given ty-
phoid infected milk to drink for pc
riods of thirty days and not a man has
ever had an attack Of fever, from
these tests.
Dr. Walker expects to receive a sup
ply of the serum from the army medi-
cal department within a few days, and
while he doesn't expect to try to force
vaccination on the members Of the
militia. he will inoculate those who
desire 1t.