The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1912-08-21
Fall In Typhoid
Rate
Health Department Finds
Only ne-Third as Many
Cases in State as in
1911.

the DluNt bOuiu VI hCoitii BLOW
that Virginia is reaping in a
greatly reduced typhoid fever
rate the fruits that have been
sown in popular education and
general precautions.
Indeed, so startling is the re-
ported decline in the number of
typhoid cases in the State that
health officers declare the vic.
tory achieved over this disease
ia the most significant in the
history of health work in Vir-
ginia. In it they see the fulfil.
ment Of promises already and
the forecast of greater possibili-
ties.
The summer season of 1911
was an extremely unfavorable
one for the prevention of ty-
phoid fever. A long, dry sea-
son followed an early summer
and thwarted in large measure
the precautions taken by health
authorities of the State. While
there were few epidemics,
health officers felt that there
had been no fair test of the pre-
cautions taken by them for the
eradication of the disease. In
the single month of July last
year, 1888 cases of typhoid
fever were reported and these
did not include cases in the
cities and in practice of physi-
clans who failed to report to
the health department.
This year the States health
authorities had a favorable sea
son and early put into opera
ton all the machinery for the
prevention of typhoid fever. a
staff of field Investigators was
gathered who Investigated all
reported outbreaks, much liter
ature on the prevention of ty-
phoid was distributed and every
possible means at the command
of the State for the education
of the people was employed TO
further the work done in pre-.
yious years
The result of these plans was
awaited with much interest and
when the statistics for June
was compiled, health officers
were much gratified. No def T.
mite figures were announced
however, as the State Board of
Health preferred to have statis.
tics for at least two months be-
fore publishing the precise com
parlson for the two years. The
July figures were compiled yes
terday by the State Board of
Health and showed startling
decline. Where 1893 cases
were reported in July 1911, only
5ia cases We're reported in July
this year.
This result, said Health
Commissioner Williams yester-
day, sis tribute to the increas-
ed education of the people.
They have accepted the pledges
made by the health authorities
and have taken the precautions
necessary to prevent the di-
sease. The credit for this re-
markable showing belongs,
therefore, to the public of the
"of course the comparison
Tor the two years liz not abso-
lntely convincing. Many ply
s'c'ans failed to report in either
year and hence their cases are
not included in t e figures
gwen out today. But approx
mately the same number of
physicians in the same locali-
l,es reported both year and
'heir statements indicate + h 6
relative prevalence of the di-
sease. Our larger cities, of
course, do not show such u
marked decrease as do the coun.
.,es, owing to the fact that in
tnese cities the typhoid rate
mas already been reduced to g
very low figure, but the cities
are not included in our calcula-
''ons In either instance.
with all possible allowance
ior omissions and unreported
fuses, 1t is safe to say that thus
lar there does not appear to be
more than one third as much