The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1914-04-25
FEAR HEALTH CONDITIONS
American Army Must Obey Strict Re-
quirements in Certain Parts of
Mexico Typhus Fever is Danger
SCIENCE DISCOVERIES HELPFUL
BY Congressman G. H. Tavenner.

By Congressman G. H. Tavenner.
Washington, April24 There turks
on the upland plains of Mexico a
foe to American soldiers more dead
ly than the most desperate band Of
Mexican soldiers. The foe is the
dread disease known to Mexican doc
tors as tabardillo, to the Mexican
poems as eel tito" and to the world as
typhus fever.
Unless sanitary precautions taken
by any invading American force are
unusually good, typhus fever will de-
mand toll of lives that will make
the American people shudder 1t is
one of the deadliest diseases known,
the fatalities among victims rang
ing between 25 and SO per cent. Ty-
plus exists today in only three spots
in the, world-in Asia Minor, in nor
them Africa, and on the Mexican
plateau. --.- ~
The last case of true typhus known
in this country existed during the
Civil War. But the troops of North
and South were particularly forum
ate in escaping this scourge, which
had decimated the armed forces of
every previous great war. American
and British soldiers died like flies
from it during the Revolution. It is
one of the oldest of contagious dis
eases, having been called at different
time "anmy fever" ttcamp fever"
"jail fever" "ship fever" and the
like, for it had always broken out
where men were brought together to
live in close quarters such as jails,
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.
Anderson and Goldberger of the Pub
lie Health Service. These doctors
went to Mexico in 1910 to study ia
bardillo. They noted that the dis
ease exists only on~the high plateau
of the Mexican interior and is never
found in the tropical lowlands Of
the coast. They also noticed that the
upland poems were usually covered
with lice, while lice cannot live "a
hours in the heat of the coast coun-
try. They guessed that the disease
was transmitted by lice, and subse-
quent experiments with monkeys YER
flied the truth of their deduction. In
cidentally DR.. Goldberger was strick-
| en- with typhus and nearly died.
The work of these men and others,
however, now makes it possible for
an American army to enter Mexico
and escape a general scourge of ty-
phus. The secret of immunity is
absolute cleanliness, and it is likely
that the army authorities will form
new sort OF corps for regiments thai
may invade the country. The new
division will be the wash-tub corps
1t is essential that the soldiers battle
as frequently as possible and that
their linen be boiled once day.
| There is admitted to be dangel
that typhus will be brought to this
country by troops returning from
Mexico, and the health authoritie'
concede that it is entirely possible t.
have an epidemic in the slums of tn,
larger American cities Recon
studies have shown that Brilps dis
ease, which exists among children O
J: New York, Chicago, Atlanta, an
elsewhere is mild form of typhus
J, Simultan eously it was discovered tina
, lice were transmitting Brill's disease
But where this mild infection cal
r. IT,