The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-04-27
DANGER FROM DISEASE
Typllus Fever On The Mexican Plateau Transmitted Partly
 By Lice

TRv csongressman C. n. Tavenner9
 w-shineton, April z7-There turks on css upland plains of Mexico 2 Toe 4c American soldiers more deadly than 4he most desperate band of Mexican soldiers. The foe is the dread disease known to Mexican doctors as taDer- dfllo, to the Mexican peons as el riros' and to the world as typhus 1ever.
 Unless sanitary precautions stskHn Dy any invading American force are un- usually good5 typhus fever will de- r,ard astoll Of lives that will ake the American people shudder. It Is one of the deadliest diseases known, the fatalities among victims ranging De tween z5 and 50 per cent Typhus ex- ists today in only three spots in the vvor1d-in Asia Minor in northern A9- rfca. and on the Mexican plateau.
 in this country existed during the Ctv- il War But the troops of North and South were particularly fortunate in escaping this scourge, which had dec1- mated the armed forces of every pre- zvious great war American ano during tho Revolution. It is one or the oldest of contagious diseases, hav- ing been called at different times army fever, sHai1 fever, ship fe- ver.ss and the like, for it had always broken out where men were brought IOK4L0EE 10 1lF6 III ~<1Oz >4%AeA- -t1A ,e<><-1 as jatls. ships and military camps
 The cause of typhus was discovered only In the past five years and equal credit for this discovery goes to Drs Andersen and GOldberger of the Pup- 1ic Health service These doctors went to Mexico in 1910 to study tabz ardf11o. They noted that the disease exists only on the high plateau of the Mexican interior andfi never found in the tropical 1ow1ands Of the coast They also noticed that the upland peons were usua1Iy covered with lice, while lice cannot live 24 hours in the heat of the coast country. They rruessed that the disease was trans 1nftted by lice, and subsequent expert ments with monkeys verified the truth Of their deduction. Incidentally pr. Gofdberger was stricken with typhus and nearly died
 Thesuork of these men and others, however. nosv makes it possible. for an Araer1can army to enter Mexico and escape general scOur8e of ty- plaus. The secret of immunity is ab- solute c1eanliness, and it is likely that the army authorities will form a new sort of corps for regiments that may snvzde the country. The new divis- ion will be the washtub corps It ss essential that the soldiers bathe as frequently as possibly and that their linen be boiled once day.
 There is 4dm1GLea 70 Ape QalSeE that typfus win be brought to this country by troops returning from Mex fco and the health authorities con- cedes that 1t Is entirely possible to have an epidemic in the s1ums of the larger American cities. Recent studies have shown that BriIss disease. which ex- 3sts among children of New N ork, Chicago, Atlanta, and elsewhere is a mild form of tephus- SimuItaneo1sly was discovered that lice were trans hitting Brillrs disease. But where this mild infection can exist it is pos sib1e for the dread form of typhus to spread
 The discoveries of modern medical science since the Spanish War should prove to be a wonderful safeguard to American soldiers in Mexico. Yel- low fever can be avoided by protection against mosquitoes. Mosquitoes also carry malaria, but recent discoveries have shown that small daily doses of utziriine will prevent malaria yaccina- tions for smallpox and typhoid are re- lied upon to prevent epidenics of these diseases Dysentery can be avoided by the use of clean food and water