The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1914-06-26
TYPHOID FEVER


Typhoid fever does not originate
by itself, out of a clear sky. Every
body knows that it is possible to con-
meet many typhoid cases with a pre-
yious case of the same disease. This
would be true of every case if we
could discover all the circumstances
of infection.
Like all other infections and con-
tagious diseases, typhoid fever is a
germ disease, that is, it is due to
a small living organism. The typhoid
germ does not develop by 'sponta-
neous generation out of lifeless
matter, nor does it come into exist
ence suddenly as the wayward off
spring of an innocent micrObe, but
only as the descendant of another
germ of the same kind. 1t is there
fore true that if all typhoid germs
now living could be destroyed, the
disease itself would cease to plague
us. Although immediate and COM
plete organization of all typhoid
bacilli il an impossible task, it is evil
dent that if we can in any way mate
rally lessen their number, we shall
also diminish the frequency with
which infection occurs. One rattle
snake in a town is less dangerous
than ten thousand rattlesnakes. In
this sense typhoid fever is a prevent
able disease. If we can keep away
from the typhoid bacillus or can keep
it away from us, we shall not have
typhoid fever. We cannot see the
bacillus without a microscope, but
fortunately we know where it lives
and how we are likely to come into
contact with it, so that we are able
to do much to protect ourselves.
First of all we must remember that
typhoid fever is a disease restricted
to man. None of the domestic ami
mails suffer from it. In consequence,
methods of prevention are in some
respects simpler than in the case of
a disease which, like tuberculosis, af-
fiicts animals associated with man as
well as man himself.
Early Recognition Important.
For purposes of prevention as well
as cure it is important to recognize
the existence of typhoid fever in an
individual or in a community as
early as possible. The symptoms of
typhoid fever, like those of other in
fictitious diseases, are not the same
in all persons. Atypical cases are
often encountered in epidemics.
There are all grades of severity, from
the extremely toxic and fatal cases
to those in which the patient thinks
he is suffering merely from slight
'indisposition or bilious attack is
able to keep about his work and per-
haps never calls in physician. Even
in severe cases some one or more
of the usual symptoms of typhoid
lGRGIg SuSu DIS lllli1ul uCd0chCA4Og IOoO
spots over the body, characteristic
fever curve, or enlarged spleen may
be lacking, or the disease may pre-
sent an unusual and confusing symp-
tomatology so that early diagnosis is
uncertain or impossible. 1t is less
than a hundred years since typhoid
fever began to be distinguished by
physicians from other "slow" or
continued fevers, and there is still
a measure of uncertainty in some
cases in which physicians have to
base their diagnosis on symptoms
alone, and have not the aid which
comes from the laboratory tests. In
lection with the typhoid bacillus may
be mistaken for malaria or for in
fections with other bacteria, such as
the tubercle bacillus. From the point
N