The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-25
The Typhoid PropAyIaxis.

The Typhoid ProphyIaxis.
The typhoid danger may DO dismissed
briefly. The forces under Gen. Funston's
command have not had a case OF typhoid
/ In more than fourteen months and have
absolutely no reason to expect n case In
/ the future as long as present methods are
/ continued The secret Is the typhoid
/ prophylaxis. which since its discovery a
/ few years ago and adoption by the United
States army Is admin stored to every
man in the service. Its effectiveness In
almost beyond belief. Consequently so far
as the American troops are concerned the
| typhoid danger Is non-existent-
| Though Major Hartsack and his asso-
ciates are confident that yellow fever will
not gain admission within the American
lines there Is not the slightest intention
OF relaxing preventive measures. 1t 10
believed also that the precautions against
/ the yellow fever will keep down the
amount OF malaria. ranked second in the
order OF menaces at Vera Crus. Next !s
smallpox then typhoid and typhus.
cerebro-splnal meningitis and tuberculosis.
Malaria. like yellow fever. Is trans
mitted by the mosquito. Consequently
the attack on both 10 made through a fight
against the mosquito. With the rainy
season just begun. tho heavy guns have
the fight will proceed with maximum
NiEor.
The yellow fever mosquito II the
stesomyia, a house mosquito which breeds
In barrels. tanks and other receptacles OF
fresh water found within q town. With
the excellent sewer system and water
works which Vera Cruz has the danger
from this mosquito Is largely reduced
! Nevertheless, "a force OF forty petroleros
as the Mexicans call the men who spread
kerosene over all discoverable pools OF
fresh water wherever found. has been Or
ganized and IL at work.
This force will make repeated house "a
house canvasses of the city. maintaining
a continual watchfulness over the citizens
many OF them too ignorant or Indifferent
to be relied upon to maintain the proper
protective measures against tho mosquito
The number of very old houses In Vera
Cruz, many OF them dating back hundreds
OF years and having abandoned cisterns
and Wells, makes the necessity for a care
/ full watch on the householders very great
The work once done will be repeated over
and over again without relaxation.
Malaria . Real Menace.
Malaria IL transmitted by the anophslel
mosquito, which II essentially q marsh
mosquito. This little insect is probably
the only real menace TO tho health Of the
American forces. tho larger part Of which
In quartered In the suburbs OF Vera Cruz
With the advent OF the rainy season yes
terday an increase In the breeding of ths
malaria mosquito 10 certainty.
| Tho petroeros will be after the insect
as they are attacking the yellow fever
mosquito within the city. but tho task II
more difficult Medical oficers expect tha
within a few weeks malaria will beGir
to make Its appearance among the troops
though they are doing everything known
to medical science and sanitation to hold
the number OF cases down to tho mini
mum.
The dosing OF the soldiers with quinn,
has begun. The dose At present IL three
grains. taken each night. Later wher
the rains become heavier and stagnan
lGuinine will he doubled While the quinin'
" not an absolute preventive II server
to reduce greatly the probability Of In
fection.
In addition every officer and enlisted
man ashore will be required TO sleep unds
a mosquito bar. and the men will b
warned repeatedly against exposing than
selves unnecessarily to the bites OF tn
few mosquitoes that are expected to ap
pear. SO far as practicable. the native
will be enlisted in the anti-mosqu!t'
campaign.
Smallpox Is already present. Men o
the Arkansas battalion entered a srea
stone building from which a score OF mel
were sniping at them and. climbing II
through a second story window. foun'
themselves In the isolation ward OF tn
san sebastian Hospital. In the war,
were four cases OF smallpox and thre
suspects.
on the next day all these patients wer
transferred to the pesthouse, two mile
outside the city. an old stone castlelik
structure once the home OF q great lands