Evening journal., 1914-08-28
FRIDAY AUGUST %. 1914
TYHOm AND MS CONTROL.

THE typhoid situation IN the rural districts near VIII
mington is assuming such proportions that it is
causing the city health authorities much concern For
the month of August 20 reported in this
city practically so per cent of all reported for
the year. and from the number of cases beng admitted
to our city hospitals from rural Delaware there is
every to believe that typhoid is being introduced
into our city through the milk supply and by our
citizens spending their vacations in yicnities not
protected from typhoid incubation.
Our city water supply by recent analysis shows
that IL positively does not contain typhoid bacteria
Hence in summing up the situation, must look for
other sources of contamination Typhoid fever, every
case of which Is investigated by local department,
shows a remarkable decrease For the fiscal year
191o-ii there were l12 and 26 deahs for 1911
H. 1Sl cases and "a deaths; for 92i3. 60 and
~ deaths. large part of the typhoid I'm 19ll-2 was
due to an epidemic at Coatesve thirty-hve
appearing in Wilmington before the situation could be
controlled Records of the past year show the lowest
death rate and number of In hirty-two years.
Statistics prior to that time unavailable. AS COM
pared with 1910-11 the reduction Of is forty-sx
per cent and of deaths, dfty-three per cent An inn
partial consideration of the evidence at hand viii
port the statement that slow sand filtration and cho
rinaiion are largely responsible for the reduction
shown For the present year to date there have been
eight deaths three Of which were Of persons who died
hour local hospitals having been admitted from rural
New Castle county.
The encouraging reports OF our city water, and the
fact that considerable typhoid does exist outside the
city leads believe that the typhoid fever is be-
ine introduced into city from other sources than
our city water.
Unfortunately the city is provided with city
laboratory by which could be positively ascertaned
whether milk is the source we must guard against
If this could he positively determined more effective
efforts could then be made to protect citizens. MIX
IS frequent carrier of typhoid. While the typhoid
germ has a tendency to die in from to days
in water. vegetables and In refuse from patients
milk affords il hrstclass medium in which to de-
veop Most summer epdemics are milk-bonc The
milk contaminated directly indirectly from
carrier either at the dairy in transportation From
records kept Of thrtysix of typhoid fever in this
city last year Il shown that milk supplied to
the persons affected by five different milk men, show
ing crcumsantially that milk the source of In
fecton in these thrty-six cases. or two of the
milk having high eight their
routes
There is sHn another way in which healthy per-
may become victims of this dreaded disease.
Certain persons apparently perfectly healthy carry the
germs Of typhoid fever about with them in their intes
tines. About four per cent Of all persons who suffer
from typhoid fever become carriers of the deadly
germs Carriers are constant menace 20 those with
whom they come in daily contact This is especially
true when such individual is employed in kitchen,
dairy, bakery grocery other place where food ia
handled.
As TO the prevention Of typhoid, all citizens should
insist that all persons having typhoid fever sus-
pected OF having the disease be reported once to
the local Health Board Also, since the Of all
persons IN from typhoid contains many dseas,
germs, It is absolutely necessary to kill these germs
by Immediately mixing typhoid waste matter with
carboc acid or chloride of lime This will at once
any possibility Of the spread of the disesse
Within recent years. however. discovery has beer
made that promises to do even against typhoid
fever than vaccination has done against smallpox
This discovery is also form of vaccination A.
It is practised by all persons we shall b,
able 10 speak of typhoid fever almost a thing o
the past
AS proof of this statement. million and hal
inoculatons against typhoid fever have been given Il
the soldiers the United States Europe with mos
surprising result in almost stamping the dsoas,
IN the United States army typhoid fever is now rar
disease being far less frequent than in most healthfu
towns and cities 1912 there were 1000 soldiers
the United States army who did receive inocuia
ton. Among these. forty-three cases Of typhoid dc
veloped. On the other hand. only three deveopo
among $4,000 who had received incubation. Sine
1912 not Of typhoid fever has been reporte
among the soldiers in the United States army. TIL
IS due entirely to The thorough system Of vaccnatio
against the disease.
Fishing admittedly fine sport yet We have here