The leader-enterprise. [volume] (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1912-1915, 1912-07-02
HOW TYPHOID fever
MAY Be PREVENTED
Georgia State Board of Health Shows
How Death Rate May Be
Materially Reduced.


how many, and the number may run
into thousands-which occur annually
in Georgia from typhoid fever alone,
might be prevented through oDserV-
ance of the common rules of SANTA
ton and cleanliness, asserts the Geor-
eia State Board of Health. How many
more deaths, easily preventable, are
added to this number yearly through
dysentery and kindred diseases, there
are no records to disclose. In NOR
tuary records and vital statistics Geor-
gia is lamentably deficient.
That eternal cleanliness is the price
of health, is the lesson the individual,
the family everywhere must learn.
Moreover, it must be the right kind
Of cleaning; it does not answer slm-
plv to gather up and burn the trash
and garbage, for it is not so much in
these the danger lies, as in the ex-
cretions of the human body. These
excretions must be rendered harmless
and made powerless to distribute the
germs of disease with which they may
be contaminated. And unless this is
done the danger of disease contami-
nation will be always present.
Typhoid, dysentery and like diseas-
es are just as certainly products OF
filth and dirt as daylight follows sun
rise. Their germs breed in filth. in
human excretions, and are communi-
Gated to wells and cisterns; they are
carried by flies and other insects,
taken into the system through con-
taminated drinking water, through
milk that has become infected and
even a persons hands coming into
contact with the germs, may convey
them to the system through the
mouth.
Typhoid fever develops slowly; it
is marked by loss of appetite, head
ache, fatigue upon slight exertlon-
Then fever develops accompanied Of
ten by chilly sensations; the temper
allure gradually rises, going some
times as high as los degrees or more.
In many cases there are no symptoms
of bowel trouble; in severe forms,
diarrhoaea may come the first week
and continue. Later small reddish
spots, resembling flea bites, appear
on the abdomen and legs; pneumo-
MIA may develop and bleeding from
the bowels is an occasional symptom.
Upon the first appearance of the
symptoms a physician should be call
ed; careful nursing and a liquid diet
until the physician permits otherwise,
are imperative.
Dysentery is of two kinds, the amoe-
bic or tropical, caused by drinking
water containing small single-celled
organism called the "amoeba"-a Sc
we're type of which may continue
even years after being contracted
through taking impure drinking wa
ter into the system; and then, the
common kind which is communicated
through impure water also, and,
again, after the manner of typhoid
fever. This disease is most common
in the rural districts where water
supplies more easily become contain
mated.
Cleanliness is the absolute, the only
preventative of these diseases. By
cleanliness the Board of Health means
more particularly the proper removal
and disposition of human excretions
where they will be poWerless to cong
municate infection. First and fore
most, as pointed out in former state
ment by the Board of Health, houses
should be securely screened so as to
keep out flies, mosquitoes and all in
sects. The barnyard manure pile 7
should be screened so that flies can
not make it their breeding place. Yard
closets should be so constructed that
should be KEEP thoroughly clean at
all times and far removed from the
we'll or the source of water supply.
Lime should be freely used about all
such places. Stable yard, pigpen and
COW lot should be kept dry and clean.
Garbage should be kept in tight COW
cred cans. Care must be taken to
prevent any possible contamination
of the well or cistern; every family :
should know that it's drinking water
is pure. In making preparations for
milking, boil the water in the vessel
into which the milk is to be drawnA
pour it into another vessel and do not
then wash out the first bucket. Be-
fore milking wash thoroughly the
cows udder with the boiled water
typhoid gets into milk through the
use of water that is contaminated.
Have no stagnant or standing water
about the house or premises. Careful
and thorough observation Of these
common rules of sanitation will elm
mate probability of the presence of
these diseases it is the only thing
that will do it.
In the case of typhoid fever pa
tents extreme care must be taken
to prevent communication of the dis
eases to other persons Where possf-
BILE, typhoid fever patients should be
completely isolated, attended only by
those whose presence is necessary.
Excretions from patients should be
thoroughly disinfected and removedA
far from. springs or wells. All cloth
ing of whatever nature removed from
the patients room ard everything in
it should be subjected to complete
fumigation. Only through such care
can the communication of the disease