Bisbee daily review., 1911-05-16
.TyPHUS FEVER AND TREATMENT

Typhus fever is an acute infec- tious disease, characterized cllnicaliy by a sudden onset, usually with a chill severe headache. marked ner- yous symptoms, a mucular eruption, frequently becoming petechial. and Terminating by crisis, The disease is conveyed by the bite of the body Iouse. Pediculus yestimenti, writes ! Dr. John F. Anderson, a weIi-known medical authority. Typhus fever is also known as spotted fever, exaDthematic typhus, i pail fever, ship fever. tabardillo, etc. | It is essentially disease of tenn perate and cold climates; it prob ably never prevails in the tropics eN- cept al considerable attitudes. This disease was formerly one of me great endemic diseases of tenipor- ate climates, but in late years has almost disappeared. lingering only in places where sanitary conditions have not kept pace with modern progress.
 The disease is epidemic in the mountains of northern. Africa, DOT tions of Russia, and southern Flu rope, portions of Ireland, northern England. certain parts of Asia and in America. on the Mexican plateau, extending down into Central Amer ica. In Mexico and Central America the disease does not prevail at a lower attitude than 1.50O meters. The Origin of the Disease
 It is only in the light of recent advances in our knowledge of the etiology of typhus that an under standing has been had of many facts that have been noted regarding the distribution and spread of the dis ease.
 Typhus has been considered one of the most contagious diseases, but the contagion appeared to have a decided short striking distance; for example. when case was in the ward of a hospital. new eases might appear in adjoining beds on the same side of the ward, but almost never across the aisle Again, 1t has been noted that physicians and nurses on attendance of cases cf typhus were very liable to be Gt, t1ckci. and the closer their associa uon with the cases the greater the chances of infection.
 Up to 1909 all attempts to pro duce the disease in lower animals had been unsuccessful In the sum- mer, and fall of that year Nicolle Compte and Consell, working in northern Africa; Anderson and GoldbeTger, and Ricketts and Wild CT. working in Mexico. reported their werk on the successful inoculation of monkeys with the disease Nicolle and his coworkers were unable 10 produce the disease by the direct ak 2 with blood from human cases, but lid sTcceed when the infection was passed through the chimpanzee. On the other hand, Anderson and GoIdberger had no difficulty in pro- ducing the disease in Mexico in both the ,Rhesus and Capuchini mon keys by the inoculation of blood from human cases.
 i All these workers were impressed with the idea of an insect being the :. means by which the disease was transmitted, and the epidemiological data pointed strongly to the body louse. IL was found by them that typhus fever could be produced in
 u,onkeys by allowing lice to bite |. them after having fed on cases of , typhus either in man or m 0nkeys This important advance in our
 knowledge of the means Of trans mission of typhus exDlsins many ob- scure points in regard to the spread , or the disease. and provides us
 with the kn1wledge necessary for ifs successful prevention and eradi- cation.
 ProphylaNis
 Now that we know how the dis , ease Is spread measures may be intelligently applied for fits proven ton. The body louse, Pediculus yes . timenti. being almost certainly an
 ersentfa, factor in the transmission | of the disease. our efforts should be concentrated on the destruction o' lthis insect. An important part of these efforts is the destruction o'
 unsanitary dwellings and improve ment of the living conditions of the poor. The iouse Is an insect th7t loves hest to dwell with those who live in sQualor and are of filthy , babits. so that an improvement of ] the living conditions of the poor will result in a decrease in the
 prevalence of the insect.
 When a case of typh"s is dis"ov-
 cred, the patients clothes should
 he removed and immediately placed ! in boiling water of 1:5c0 solution
 of bschloride of mercury for the destruction of lice. The patients lbafr should be cliDped, and he should
 be given a thorough sDonging with
 a I:2OO0 solution of bichioride O mercury, which will destroy the
 eggs of the Iouse. After the removal Of the patient from the room, the
 apartment should be thoroughly fu migated by the burning Of sulDhT' fin the proportio nof five pounds o'
 sticks or flowers to each 1000 cuhi'
 feet. and the room kert sealed fo'
 at least 12 hours. The use O
 Touid disinfectaDfs or os formal6e \ hyde for the destruction of thu ! lice in the room Is of doubtfu [ value. If the fact is kept in mint i that the louse is necessary for tn
 spread of typhus fever, just as th'
 nosouito is for yellow fever, tn II nronhvlaxis of the disease is greatl'