Little Falls herald., 1914-10-23
THE STATE BOARD Of CONTROL
TYPHOID vACCINATIoN-RE
ABLE RESULTS FROM EXPERT
MENTS AT FERGUS FALLS

ABLE RESULTS FROM EXPERT
MENTs AT FERGUS FALLS
4. Resume Of the Operations of the In
situations under the State Board Of
Control for the Biennial Period ending
July 81, 1914.
Fergus Falls Hospital
One of the scourges Of the average
community is typhoid fever. Often the
fatalities are many, though medical
science and it's application in the mat
ter of sanitation and other preventa-
tive measures have done much to re-
duce the yearly number Of victims. A
municipality in itself, the average
state hospital or asylum with a housed
population running into four figures
Emight be thought fertile field for this
and other communicable diseases, but
for an epidemic to get started would
be regarded as something out of the
ordinary, under existing conditions.
The success that has attended ef-
forts in this direction is best told in
the report Of those in charge Of the
Fergus Falls insane hospital where IN
two years there have been only five
eases of typhoid and none of them IA
tai. In that institution over 1900 are
housed.
In order to prevent the spread of
typhoid fever, which is constant
menace because Of the daily coming and
going Of patients and the constant
changes among the employees, many Of
them direct from sources Of contagion,
the hospital physicians. two years ago
decided on anti-typhoid vaccination
for every one connected with or housed
in the institution. Special study Of it's
use in the United States army was
made and the inocculation Of those
Econnected with the insane hospital was
watched with interest. How beneficial
Ethe results have been can be realized
when it is shown that of nearly 1000
persons made immune not one was
stricken with the disease. Of the
five cases reported all were employees
and had not been treated.
/ Typhoid. fever, however, is not the
Eonly communicable disease the Board
Of Control has to contend with, nor is
vaccination the only preventative. Con-
slant watch must be kept for the ap-
pearance of diphtheria, small pox. mea-
sles, and other diseases Of a c ntagious
character. In every such instance, the
patient is isolated and every precau-
ftion taken to prevent the spread of the
disease. Contagious wards are fea-
ture Of every state hospital, and they
are maintained in the highest degree
Of efficiency.
Milk, fertile source Of contagion,
| Iis watched with jealous care in every
Estate institution. So are other foods
and this same supervision even *
tends to the handling and cooking Of
the same, the personal habits and
clothing Of those in charge and the
tFibuildings where. such are located.
The Hastings Asylum
+ The Hastings Asylum Tor the insane
was authorized by the legislature in
1899 and is companion to the Anoka
asylum, which was established at the
same time. At the present time it has
population Of TAT.
During the past two years a num-
ber Of improvements have been made,
including three new cottages Of mod
ern design and fireproofng of several
of the old buildings. Work on two ad-
ditional cottages is also well under
way.
The one aim Of the BoarG of Control
has been to modernize this plant, and,
while much in this line has been ac-
complished, there still remains consid-
erable to be done. One of the chief
hazards of the institution lies in the
Main building. It has been partly fire.
proofed, but enough Of the old con-
! struction remains to make it sort Of
fre-trap. The institution also lacks
a hall of sufficient size in which to
furnish amusements for the inmates.
During the biennial period just closed,
the Hastings Asylum received 147 pa
tients from the Rochester Hospital for
the Insane, 81 from the st. Peter Hos
pital, and IS from the Fergus Falls
Hospital Deaths to the number Of 60
occurred.
The asylum has ABOUT $50 acres OF
land, much Of which is under cultiva-
this figure within the next two years.
As pointed out by the asylum officials,
more land is Imperative, as that now
under cultivation is hardly sufficient
to meet the institution 8 needs.
| Like its companion institution at
Anoka, the Hastings Asylum numbers
| among its population more single per-
sons than married. The former are
nearly four times greater. Foreign
born patients also lead, they numbering
414 to 333 of native birth. The ma
jority Of the patients are between the
ages Of thirty five and fifty.
child there. Children should be plac-
ed with them at an early age in order
to receive the best results. After
twenty -one years Of age they are I'D
mitted only for study during the month
Of August when special summer term
is held for them.
The cases Of four blind and one
deaf and dumb have been Investigated
and Tho naHorkna fn1d hu.a IN auo WIT.