The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-02-28
new SERUM SAVING LIVES
ERADICATED BY ITS USE
SUCCESSFUL RESULTS
OBTAINED IN HOMES
DALE

Washington, Feb. 27.-In con-
tinental United States there are ap-
proXimately 5000 regular troops.
During the calendar year 1911 there
were only thirty-nine cases of ty-
phoid fever among the troops.
From the typhoid bacilli a serum
has been made which, when a person
is inoculated with it, will, ninety
nine times out of one hundred, rem
der the person immune for at least
three years. All the troops were in
oculated in 1911 with the serum, or
prophylax. This accounts for the
low percentage (.65) of typhoid in
the army-all but one case to 1000
men.
The results obtained by the use
of the typhoid prophlax, or serum,
is indeed remarkable" said Captain
Albert G. Love of the army medical
corps and assistant to Chief Surgeon
General Torney. AS wonderful as
have been the results, the end has
not yet been reached. Next year
will see the serum perfected so that
the period of immunity will be long
er than three years-say, five years.
What has been done in the army
can be done everywhere, according
to Chief Surgeon Torney, and he is
backed up by Major Frederick F.
Russell, the typhoid fever serum ex-
pert of the medical corps, and Lieut..
Colonel j. r. Kean assistant to
Torney.
" There is absolutely no reason
why typhoid fever in the United
States should not be reduced at least
7.5 per cent" said Major Russell.
" If municipal authorities would
insist upon incubation against ty-
phoid as they do vaccination against
smallpox the reduction of typhoid
cases would be MATERIAL" said Lieut..
Colonel Kean.
In the "maneuver division" camp
at San Antonio last year there were
sol officers and men. They were
in camp from March 10 to July 10.
There was but one case of typhoid
| fever, non-fatal, during the period
In the volunteer camp at Jackson
Vile, Fla, in 1898, for the same
| length of time there were 1O,759 Of
ficers and men, 1929 cases of ty-
/ phoid, with PAS deaths.
And while the troops in camp at
! San Antonio had but one case in four
months, the city of San Antonio had
! forty-nine cases with nineteen
! deaths.
The conditions at the "maneuver
! division" site were not the best. The
men constantly lived amid either
dust or mud. 1t rained continually
for days after the men began to ar
rive. After the rain ceased and the
mud dried there came dust. The
natural conditions were conducive tC
typhoid. 1t was incubation and i'm
proved methods of sanitarium in the
camp that prevented an epidemic.
Perhaps one-fourth of the men ar
rived at San Antonio inoculated
The remaining three-fourths were
given the prophylax after their ar
rival and it's effect was almost in
stantaneous.
Major Russell was sent abroad il
|. 1908 to study the tests being made
in England, and on his return il
|, 1909 he began making tests here b.
order of the war department. A
that time it was decided to vaccinat,
only volunteer troops and in time o
| war.
Major Russell had such success il
1909 and 1910, however, with volun
tary subjects that he recommends
that inoculation for typhoid be mad
compulsory in the army. His rec
| ommendation was not acted upon
however, until 1911, when tn
} troops went into camp at San An
J tonic.
The one-fourth of the troops whic
, went into the camp inoculated ha
, subjected themselves to it volun
| tarily. An order was issued wit
4 the movement of the troops to com
7 pei all to be inoculated The resul
:. is best told in the figures furnishe
for the year 19l1-thirty-nin
: cases in continental United States.
I Major Russell says 1t is within tn
g reach of everybody to be inoculate
: every three or four years, that tn
e serum can be procured SO as to max