Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-10-17

IL.
! His report SO thoroughly Endorsed 1t that
tho surgeon general convened a board
composed of number Of the greatest
medical scientists In the world to study
the matter and 10 make recommendations
as TO the employment of the procedure
in our army. Their conclusions reached
unanimously. follow;
In the fall of 1905 Il special laboratory
was fitted up at the Army Medical School
in Washington for the preparation of the
vaccine on a large scale, and in February
of 1909 the vaccination of an applicants
was begun.
To prepare the vaccine the organisms
are grown ON agar suspended IN normal
salt solution After sterilization for an
hour in a heat Of ii degrees centigrade
I C33 degrees FahrenhciD. n small percent
! age of dsinfcctant is added to insure the
| yaccine's keeping properties, and II is
: placed in sealed glass tubes. When a
, vaccination is To be made the tip of tho
glass tube Is broken off and the contents
drawn up into u hypodermc syringe and
II small amount is Injected under the
skin of the arm in the situation used for
| ordinary vaccination.
Usually within three or four hours from
person notices little redncss and swell
! nE. and experiences some soreness about
the site of the wound. with perhaps some
4 headache. bacbachc, slight fcverishness
and a sick feeling
| The discomfort attendant upon immune
| zation against this dread disease is,
therefore, slighter and brief than is that
felt after successful vaccination against
smallpox and is infinitely less painful
| than visit to IA dentist
! The surgeon general in his annual re-
port, which has just been published, says
IN regard TO anti-typhoid vaccination: 1T
is believed that the innocuousness of this
procedure has been entirely demon
strated. Its protective value is now be-
lieved to be as perfectly established as
| any fact in medicine, and if II liz desired
by the War Department that the troops
| have the benefit of this protection. the
| time has come to require 1t as routine
| procedure throughout the army
| Dr. NJ W. Richardson and Dr. l.. II.
Spooner relate as their experience, which
comprises Loss NEGOTIATIONS practised
| upon 4o5 individuals, that as yet no UNI
toward results have occurred. Moreover.
both physicians believe that those inocu-
| lated have acquired an increased resist
ance to typhoid which will last them cer-
| tainly for several years. They express
also the strong hope that tho procedure
will within a short time find favor with
| the general public which is exposed to
many sources of infection, and which.
they believe, is in great need OF specific
| protection.
| According to Lieutenant Colonel L. K.
| keefer. of the army medical corps. no
| fewer than 140oo of our officers and men,
or about one-sixth of the personnel OF
| the army. have already taken the treat
| ment with no i'll effect in a single case,
and among these but five cases of ty-
phoid have developed, four of which were
so mild rs 10 leave doubt of the correct
ness of the diagnosis. There were no
| deaths
| The supreme Importance of extending
the great benefits of anti-typhoid vac
cinatlon to civilians is strongly urged by
| Dr. Russell It is true that a beginning
| has recently been made in one hospital
| In this city that receives typhoid cases
! by vaccination of the entire personnel of
the institution; but DR.. Russell believes
J that other hospitals should fall into line.
4
wonders in keeping down the death ratio
of ali industrial villages. mining aud rail-
way camps. asylnms for the insane, pris-
ons, schools and colleges.
| Perhaps, however, Dr. Russell writes,
| the most fruitful field is among children
and young people. who may be immun-
lied before they go to the country for the
| summer vacation. In our experiments
| the reactions among children are much
| less marked than among adults, and Of
ten, especially with the very young, there
| follows no Inconvenience whatever from
| the vaccination"
During its summer exodus to the coun-
try our civil population may not be in-
| aptly compared with d modified army.
Men. women and children. who have been
fairly well protected from typhoid by the
| sanitary precautions taken by the boards
| of health in all large cities, go to variou5
summer resorts. which are not always so
particular about such matters. Conse-
| quently. when the wanderers return in
the fall there appears a sharp outbreak
of typhoid, which has gained entrance
| into the systems OF many through the
| drinking of the impure water, injected
| milk. etc. of the country.
y simple and harmless means OF es-
| Gaping this dreadful malady is at hand;
1t remains for us merely to adopt It.
Any citizen who wishes to be vaccInated
against typhoid should apply ut the re-
search laboratory on the grounds Of the
Willard Park Hospital. or his physician
| can procure the vaccine there for him
and he can be vaccinated in his own
home The operation is not painful Is
over in a moment, and any possibly dis
! agreeable effects will pass off within
| q hours-New York Tribune.