Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-08
DANGERS OF TYPHOID SEASON

During tho year probably 2Go,o
people in the United States viii con
tract typhoid fever. The average
period OF invulid!sm Will be more than
month for every case developing, so
that the economic loss. even II re-
covcry does cnsue, can be reckoncd
upon this basis including Mt the same
:imc the care and attention required.
OF ,hose who contract the disease.
possibly $4,000 will auccuutb !:ifty
yer cent of these will be between the
ages OF fifteen and thirty-dvc years
the very time OF life when tho loss Is
most frightful. Moreover this is an
annua!' toll. and represents the mini
mum fatality which We have attained
no sooner Is the computation Of the
1900 completed than another series is
bnEun, and so on unfortunately. True
there Is some dim!nution in the total
number. the death rate since 1900 hav-
Ing been diminished by half and most
OF our cities showing Il progressive
reduction in the Incidence -: the dis
ease, but II stu remains much higher
than that Of countries which wc are
art TO consider less civilized than our
own.
Fingers. Flies and Filth.
Typhoid fever Is a disease o. Nth 1t
can only be contracted by taking into
the system the waste products OF ono
previously III OF the disease. These
waste products arc conveyed from one
indiNidual TO another usually by the
means o; third object, such as water
hies or milk. Even II dlseas. itself
were never contracted in this manner
We should revolt at the nbhorrcncc Of
the idea OF such unclcaulincss For
every cas-" of the infection dcVc!oning
some one, either the municipality or the
individual. has been careless and pub
nc opinion will soon regard such care
lessncss as criminal. III the eyes Of
the health officer typhoid fever is
strictly a preventative disease. invar-
iably originating from an antcccdcnt
case. and contracted in a most lnath-
some manner.
Typhoid Fever u Fact, Not n Theory.
Our scientific knowledge of the dis.
ease is most complete. For thirty
years the causativc organism has been
known and studied Its habitat has
been surveyed, the associatinE organ
ismS classified. and the many facts re
lating to the life OF the bacillus fully
recorded For nearly twenty years we
have been in possession OF most deli
cate blood tests for the recognition OF
the disease. tests which are not only
Of great diagnostic worth but which
should actually assist In the proven
ton OF the infection our Knowledge
OF tho dissemination Of the disease, in
both it's epidemic and endemic forms,
is consequently exact and definite Not
content with accomplishments along
these lines the medical profession, in
view OF the continued morbidity, has
even devised methods by which the
public may continue 10 live under in
sanitary conditions with perfect i'm
punity. so far as this particular disea Sc
is concerned In other words. persons
may take into their systems the filth
| which produces disease and death and
| yet. if the preventive treatment has
| been received, apparently remain free
| from harmful effects
Eighteen Thousand Denths Fer Annum.
In spite of these efforts and accom-
! plishments the frightful mortality con-
| tinues and the disease this year will
| again usher $4,000 victims to their
| graves. Plainly, the practical applica-
| ton Of our knowledge is far and away
| behind the scientific data in our pos
| session. and large proportion of the
| population Is ignoring the very princi-
| pies which have been so well estab-
! lished. For this reason. health officers
| realize that further steps toward pre-
vention must he the result OF more
| general cniGhtenmcnt and the better
| education Of the mass of the people.
| Typhoid Abolition n Community Matter.
The avoidance of the infection rests
primarily upon community actlon. inc
| proper prot ection Of water supplies, the
| eradication OF filth and all It's accom-
panimcnts, the attainment of decent
| standard in the disposal of excrcmen-
| titious ma terial, the regulation of dair-
| les and the safeguarding of milk arc
! all problems which only communities
| as q whole can settle. Nevertheless.
| this does not absolve the individual
| citizen from responsibility, and he can
! do much for his own protection
Glenn Up.
The eradication of filth is in part the
| duty OF every citizen and each one
| should see that his own surroundings
are in satisfactory condition. He
! should guard against carclessncss In
| the maintenance and preparation, OF
| food and withhold his patronage from
| those who disregard the rules of -efean-
] liness. remembering that the foods