The Washington times., 1914-05-09

or three dozen cases OF typhoid fever?
III" answer to him is warning -
the Guardians of the health. Typhoid
i much mUre insidious, daHRe>oGs,
q / serious 20 a community than yel-
l0A fever, leDrosy, or smallpox, lC-
cause these latter are tensely IRA
matte in their appearance; they can
not be masked or concealed: they are
feared by virtue of the biblical and
profane account of scourges handed
down unto the third ard fourth genera
tions.
Yet such dramatic troubles as the
black plague, yellow fever, Asistic
cholera. leprosy and smallpox are liter
ally jokes alongside OF that hidden,
creepy disease, typhoid fever. The total
deaths OF all the former scary nlaladies
in 100 vars in the whole United States
does not equal the yearly deaths today
of typhoid fever. Deaths of these
diseases. to state cold facts, were little
over l5,O1 while in 1911 there were 10000
cases of typhoid fever, with quarter
OF a million families thrown out Of
work. and near 100000 weeks of idle
hess for those attacked. Worst of all,
5000 wage-earners died last year Of
typhoid fever.
Where Germs Lurk.
What has all this to do with the cpl
denies now ragin, say yon? Well. II
has much to do with II. Silently, like
thief in the night. slowly creeping. no
one knows whether you may oe stricken
three weeks from today. The feeling,
like the old woman in the Mother Goose
rhyme. whose little dog barked at her,
and who cried: This cannot be ],
that You cannot fall i'll is nonsensical.
This very minute you may lie the pic
ture of health. only to be down leXt
week with the easily prevented ailment-
typhoid.
DR.. Osler repeated a wise slogan when
he said: For every person i'll with
typhoid there is a contaminated well. a
filthy milk and butter dairy, or fly
ridden house" And l will go me
Regius professor one better by saying
that for every individual down with
typhoid. a health officer. a politician.
and a county commissioner should De
Jailed. For when God has placed the
weapons OF prevention in our reach. the
knowledge and power of warding off
the evil in our hands. and the apathy.
Indifference. and sinful ignorance OF the
powers that be fail to make use OF that
which Providence has provided. then
should suffer the same penalties as
other felons.
In Germany, II one case Of typhoid
fever appears in towns. the commits
EiOnerS, nealln OInCeTS, anu tO"H CUM
cilr1en are hailed to court. fined and sent
20 prison. Berlin. Hamburg. Dresden.
Munich. and Vienna have altogether In
1914 only had twenty-one cases.
There are physicians who fail TO re-
port their cases. still others who err IN
making a diagnosis. and again some
who call typhoid a touch of malaria,
q little fever" and stomach colds.
Publicity Best Remedy.
Allow me to warn both the physicians
and the public that the only fever that
IS very common that lasts more than
few days is typhoid. BY any other
name il is Just as bad, If not worse.
All talk about big business and
hurting a tc~n" in exposing cenkers
like malicious rnaladies is idle rot. The
towns that try TO hide the presence Of
r,nsanitary conditions and wicked all
uents are going TO reap a whirlwind OF
despair and sorrow. Exposure and az
mission of family conditions are the
first aids to the injured, tn" earliest
steps in a remedy. Until the Young
open their eyes they are deferseless be-
fore the wicked world. Unless nu-
niCipalitv sees its faults II Will become
more and more rotten to the point OF
stagnat!on and ahitab!lity.
What's to be done, then, II the proper
authorities are supine or !ncfhcl"nt :
How can the intelligent press and pub
Ii. rid their beloved place Of the sore
members II is all very simple.
All drinking water should bc boiled