The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-07
THE. III NLIA
THE. III al All "a G1HHr1 nc
rToSSJITo

LOSSS - 4 -
ington's brothers died Of it, \ vvl
description of Its ravages viii be- found
in Weir Mitchells novel Hugh Wynne.'
"Typhus is one of the great epidemic
diseases. 1t IL very ancient plague
and formerly was one OF the principal
scourges Of war. But with the general
introduction of the bathing habit and
with modern Improvement in all mat
ters relating to individual cleanliness
1t has disappeared to a great extent.
1t Is not tropical malady but in
Mexico prevails in the elevated plateau
region. more particularly In the larger
cities, such as Puebla. San Luis Po,os.
Saltillo and the city of Mexico. Usually
wherever 1t occurs. 1t is associated with
poverty and uncleanness.
THE reason for the lesseninC II the
ravages of this disease was not under
stood up to five years ago. when thg
| discovery was made-sinCe confirmed
and established beyond question 10y en-
periments of two surgeons of the
public health service. John +. Amber.
son and Joseph Godberger, in Mexico
that typhus is transmitted from man
to man by the common louise, PediCuus
vestimenti. Just as there can be NJ
yellow fever without the Intervention
of a certain kind OF mosquito. so with.
out the louise there can be no typhus.
Danger threatens only when this in.
sect appears on the scene. To proven,
| infection therefore 1t is necessary .ony
| to eliminate the louise matter of ~
pranf diffiCiIltv inuan,nnh ha ,,1
| jectionable creature infests and attachcs
itself almost exclusively to the hody
linen, and boiling will kill 1t as well a,
| its eggs.
| preventive measures include the dis.
infection of bedding and clothes ami
the fumigation of living quarters VIII
sulphur Patients are removed To clean
surroundings, and bathing, with a com.
plete change of body linen sufiiccs for
the rest so far as the individual Is con.
cerned. city in which typhus is prey.
| alent should be provided with publ,
| baths and washhouses, where the poor
| may cleanse their own bodies and d.
their washing without cost Cheap
boarding houses and lodging houses
should be cleaned up and inmates O.
prisons and hospitals should Ice freed
of vermin on admission.
"Bubonic plague is not reported in
Mexico at the present time. Their. was
however, q disastrous epidemic Of this
dreaded malady a few years ago at Man.
zanillo. Should Vera Cruz become in.
fected it would be necessary to assign
plague experts to the work of making
thorough cleanup and destroying the
rats which carry the feas whose bite
communicates the disease.
Cleanliness Of course Is of utmost i'm.
portance where the health of troops is
concerned. Food supplies mus, be- care.
fully protected against dirt and against
, insects. 1t Is desirable to concentrate
the Morse stables, removing all manuU
, at brief and regular intervals. in order
that HES may not lay their eggs in Il.
Measures must be taken to prevent fe'
from carrying the germs of dyseutrr
ana other diseases to the mess 49,,
Kitchen tents and mess tents shpuli be
,, screened.
!, There is also the question Of d.spos.
Ing properly of garbage and u,h,r
wastes. Here it might be sand tina,
mans worst enemy is his best friend
!, FIRE does the work more effectively than
anything else, and incincratorS for tn.
purpose may be easily construed by
the soldiers themselves
Already vaccination with a hiCteSla
made from killed typhoid germs ha,
rendered our regular army pract.calR
immune to typhoid, and at the rrndcz'
Nous camps all volunteers would br sub
Jected to the same precautionary 'rcai'
ment. They would also be immuniztd
against smallpox by vaccination.
"A very important part of the work
at the rendezvous camps is TO get rid
OF disease, to eliminate the infections
to dispose OF the sufferers from chrome
tonslllltis and other infectious COM
plants, to Danish the typhoid carriers
and to weed out the wcaku-s gen
orally. Thus only the picked men, t9r
sound men, who have been Taught nor
only how to fight but how To tunr care
of themselves. are finally sent TO the
front.
Summing up the whole matter We
may say that the health prohyu IN war
Is not less important than Tho '-H"h-
problem, 1t Is indeed an css. n't' par
of the latter, inasmuch as sick n. are
OF little or no use as soldiers.
I'm war there are always two rL' MES
to hght--the human foe ana d.-raS'
Commonly the latter kills moe" men
than the former. Such was '.' caS'
during our war with Spain, hd. rs. a''
not going to allow 1t to happen '-i'h'
1T Is most satisfactory to r'n ina
in any military operations ". ..1N-V
called upon to undertake in M'N..' ou'
armies are likely to exhibit an H'"'
nifty to disease such as has E"'' 't'
enjoyed by fighting men in amy .' Wv
great conflicts of the past, an .mn lrN'
which will be due largely g. 'N'''E'
means adopted for protectinE '' soy
diers against dangerous lns"'.e.