The Washington herald., 1912-08-04
Typhoid Death Rate in America
-Four Times as Large as In Europe
United States Health An.
thorities Tell Hon Dis
ease Can Be Avoided.
Flies, Milk, and Wa
ter Germ Carriers.

Europe irto the number ana Causes u
typhoid cases show a startling conoition
in this country as compared with the
conditions In Europe.
The excessively high rate OF typhoio
fever cases in the United States -
characterized as "our national disgrace
by sanitarians and public healtn expertS
who have made the study. and the com
ma risons lust concluded seem to JUSTIFY
this characterization. Despite the al
vanced methods OF living In the United
States the statistics show that the rate
of typhoid cases In this country per loo'-
900 population is ls.5 In excess OF the
rate in European cities taken as ba-
sis of compartson
The registration area used for this
country comprises about S. per cent OF
the entire area and is conceded to be
more fair basis for computation.
The figures show that fifty cities. hav-
ing a total population of 10000 inhabit-
ants or more, the lowest typhoid rate
in rs deaths to each 10000 In popula-
ton. Cincinnati. Ohio; bears the dis
tinction of having the lowest rate.
ys
stocknoi" ""
OF the European cities with total
populations of more than 10000. the
htyb.st averape rate of typhoid deaths
nes - Ne -, ,an,,,o,,on FOR the last
LOT each p''0oo VI a. ,h. -
ten years is ~ cases. ~heh o
ord Of London. Stockholm sweoen. mas
maintained an average for the last ten
years Of II deaths per 1Oo,op OF popu-
latioh- ire Ten nonnis,ion OF Is. God. GOO
, nsnn,.
Tho highest rate in fifty cities OF the
United States for 1910. the latest figures
IN t5.V.
rate in Omaha Nebr.
These conditions exist. despite tne rae.
that typhoid fever Is generaly cohceoeu
by the medical profession to be the most
thoroughly preventable or all the nnpor-
tant diseases. Studies by boards OF tne
Public Health Service In the iast SIX
years have brought this lact forclDiS
before the public healtn omciais OF tho
country. Even the alarming nsures
quoted represent an enormous reducuoh
In the last twenty years. The nsures
for 1909 and 1910 are the lowest In the
United States since 1900, when STATISTICS
were first compiled.
The total deaths in the registration
area from typhoid fever were, In lss,
Ie,722 and for 1910, 1878. The rate OF
deaths for 1909 was % to each 10000 OF
population, and for 1910 235 FOR the same
number.
Summed up briefly. and in the order
of their Importance. the following meas
ures are recommended by the Public
Health Service and sanitarians to pre-
vent typhoid:
s...,o,. A. M.d.-
Proper sewage disposal ana the protec-
| ton of such sewage from flies and other
bscfu carving insects
D.. ,,rh,,c vat.r .unn,ies nv the
| ~. - 81. A.,
es w aI.-a,iar, r,.n,.
staiiat,on % ,-.,n 10 a.. ,.,.,,-,-
nistu uany o'-. $50
| a 49,, nron,n, and counIe,s control
o,..- r.cognized cases M tvpboid fever
by public health authorities
experience mas SHOWN that tyPhoio IN,
ocuiauon IN sihah antou -
tnnnria,inn S.,r AZ, In two cr three
vsars However, ,his form Of protection
has been used with great success In the
English. German. and American armies,
| where typhoid fever has been virtually
eliminated. But TOT purposes OF seherai
pubic nea!'n pro.eo' e,a Sp ~ o,har ,,,.aa-
III, uon e n,,,.,'IarI,, as a. yso,,id take wears
| 80, 20 ao,s,5arah,. nro,ortfon
y. .',,a,to,
| raS,s &C. Go 5,a soIa,v to the talk
| - :, ,,ortb ~ thu tvnboid baciIli-
Ts. .ar,,s yrow and breed only In the
hrr,an hody They come only from ty-
nhn,5 natten,s o- so-caIIed typhoid car
rins 1nyast,gat,on has shown that
80, ons ~ every hfty patients con-
t,n,,ss 70 carry and discharge typhoid
! sar,ns a>ter having. 10 all appearances,
en,irely recovered from the malady.
| Sow. carry the germs for fifteen or
tn,antv wears after having been pro-
nounced cured. and these carriers are
inst az dangerous. as far as they con-
Germ the spread of the disease. as a pa
tent in his death throes from the dis
ease.
D,, c.-..
The most general agent In spreading
the disease is water which had been
polluted by improper sewage disposal.
For years this was considered the only
agent by which the disease couio De
spread, and the most important step 20
ward stamping out the terrio'e iiior
from typhoid feVer was the usoopeis
that other agents eHis'eo' ,na' 'ne pun.
fication Of the water supply "ouio hui
of itself safeguaro tne community, 4.
however ,.raa-ons AGENT and n Is SAT
sne nus ~ assume that every running