Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-21
Tvnho;d and the plague.


While the American people are ap-
palled at the ravages tot the buhone
pIaeue in the orient and cholera cpl
denies in Russia. typhoid fever in TINS
country claims more lives and entails
more economic loss, according to Il
statement given out at Washington by
DIR. Allen J. Mclaughlin, of the pubic
health service. Typhoid fever entails
a loss on the people of the United
States Of more than one hundred mil
lion dollars a year, he says. BY an
amendment of the act governing the
bubiic health sertiee by the last ses-
sion of the congress- its scope was
broadened so that it is now authorized
to investigate the diseases of man and
their cause and mode of diffusion. q
task involving the supervision of navi-
gable waters, which are under the Jur-
isdiction of theesfederal government,
in order to protect them from pollution
by sewage and other communicating
conditions Joint action is to be tax
en- with Canada regarding the Great
Lakes and other boundary waters.
In Hygiene Bulletin No. 49, Dr. Nc
Laughlin calls attention to the fact
that III northern Europe, the thirty
three principal cities, with an aggre-
gate population of 31.560,000 had an
average typhoid death rate of 60
hundred thousand in 1909 and 1910,
while fifty registration cities in the
United States, with combined popu-
lation of twenty million, had a ty-
phoid death rate of twenty-five hum.
dred thousand "a conservative esti-
mate for the year 1910" says DR.. Nc
Laughlin, will place the deaths from
typhoid fever above twenty-five thou
sand in the United States" Making
still more startling comparisons, he
says:
For the whole United States tho
number of cases for each year pre-
ventable by means within our grasp
would probably reach $4,000, and the
deaths so avoided would total 1880.
In 1909 there were more cases of ty-l
phcid fever i'll the United States than
cases of plague in India, in spite OF,
the fact that Indias population is two
and a half times that of the United
States.
From January, 1907, to October,
1911, there occurred in Russia 2S3,6Si
cases of Asatic cholera. This includ-
ed the appalling epidemic of 1910. Ac-
cording to a conservative estimate.
there occurred in the United States
during the same period 1,25O,0oo cases
of typhoid fever, or more than four
cases of typaoid fever in the United
States for every case of cholera in.
Russia.
We heard great deal of the ravag-.
es of cholera In Italy in 1901, yet in
those two years there occurred in Italy
about sixteen thousand cases OF chol-
era and about six thousand deaths,
and in the United States in the same
period We had more than five hun.
dred thousand cases of typhoid fever
and fifty thousand deaths.
We are accustomed to speak of those
countries as pest ridden, and "a resi-
dence there, or even a brief syisit, is
considered with apprehension, But do
we consider the prevalence OF typhoid,
fever in our own country with sufiic-
lent seriousness? These twenty five
thousand deaths annually do not rep
resent our total loss from typhoid few
er. at Il conservative estimate they
are accompanied by 250,0o0 cases of ty-
phoid fever each year
These cases represent an average ILL
ness for each individual of four weeks
and probably six or eight weeks
OF enforced abstinence from any gain
full occupation. The economic loss is
appealing, and, computing the value OF
the lives lost in the community. the
cost of medical attendance and hos
pital care, the loss of earning capacity
for many weeks. the decreased earn
ing capacity, and impaired efficiency
due to sequelae the total loss would
reach sum not less than $10o,OoO,o 900
annually indianapolis News.