Imperial Valley press., 1913-11-24
CAN TYPHOID HARM YOU?
TESTS FOR IMMUNITY TRIED

Are you proof against typhoid?
A way to answer this question is be-
.ng sought by two Investigators at
the University of Californa-Profes-
sors F. P. Gay and j. N. Force. Such
a test has been greatly needed in or
der to tell how long anti-typhoid vac
cination continues to confer immunity
against the disease. Now Dr.. Gay
and DR.. Force are testing a new and
simple method for telling when a man
who has been yaccinated against ty-
nhoid needs to be revaccinated. The
method which they have devised was
suggested by the skin .reaction tests
other investigators have applied in di-
agnosing tuberculosis, CHAMBERS, strep-
tothriX, etc.
This new test of immunity against
typhoid is described in the University
of California publications in Pathol
ogy, in paper entitled "a Prelimin-
ary Note on a Skin Reaction Indicating
Protection Against Typhoid Fever
written by DR.. F. P. Gay, head Of the
Department of Pathology, and DR.. J.
N. Force, assistant professor of epi-
damology in the department of hy
g.ene.
Soldiers at the Preside in San
Francisco and students in the univer
sity, who had been made immune to
Uphold by anti-typhoid vaccination,
together with students and members
Of the faculty who. had mot been so
vaccinated, or sWho had suffered from
typhoid in past years, gave their aid
II the Investigations Each PERSONS
arm was slightly scratched and a
harmless solution containing a killed
and concentrated culture of the ty-
phoid bacillus was rubbed on the
abraded surface Into a similar con-
troll spot was rubbed solution OF
glycerine bouillon, identical with the
medium in which the typhoid bacilli
had been grown, but containing none
Of these dead bacilli. Within a few
hours the spot where the ''typhoidin"
had been applied on the arms of those
Who had been vaccinated against ty-
Dhoid were still immune as surround
ed by a reddish and usually indurated
area of four to twelve millimeters in
ameter, whereas the other spot
showed only the healed abrasion OF
a. most a much smaller surrounding
area of redness. On the arms of those
who had never had the disease and
had never been vaccinated against it,
the two. spots looked just, alike.
1t is hoped that this new test, after
being perfected and thoroughly tried
ont on large numbers of cases, will
prove of much practical value. The
armies and navies of all the great
powers now vaccinate all their men
against typhoid and revaccinate at in
tervals.. 1t is hoped that this new test
will tell when revaccination is need
ed something heretofore uncertain.
Already a thousand students of the
University of Calf ofnia- have been
vaccinated against typhoid. This privi-
lege is extended by the Student In
frmary to any student who desires it.
Moreover, the Department Of Pathol-
ogy of the University is sending anti
typhoid, made by Professor Gays and
Dr. Edith j. Claypool's improved new
.slethod, free to any physician~in Cali
fornia who wants to render his pa
tients proof against this common
costly, painful, and dangerous dis
ease.
The immense value to the world of
anti-typhoid vaccination is shown by
the fact that ;, whereas the United
States army formerly had $50 or more
cases of typhoid. every year, in 1912
when vaccination TO prevent typhoid
had been given to every soldier, there
was not so much as single case of
the disease. Anti-typhoid vaccination
is of no avail in the treatment of ty-
phoid. It's use is to save people from
eyer contracting The dreaded disease.