The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-06-09
HEAVY RAINS CAUSE
DISEASE MORE PROBABLE
Call for Unusual Activity In Prevention
OF Typhoid BY Treatment AT
Its Source.
DISPOSE OF ALL FILTH
unsupported Persons May Be Carriers
OF Disease. and All Waste Must BE
Treated As Actively Infected.

The prospects of good typhoid
year on account of the late spring
have largely been offset by the UNI
usual rains of the last ten days. and
the situation throughout the state is
one that calls for unusual precautions
to prevent the spread of the sum
mer scourge." Such is the substance
of warning issued yesterday by the
State Board of Health.
Thus far the board has received
comparatively few reports OF m I'M
usual prevalence OF typhoid in the
State But in few localities apparent
outbreaks have occurred and are now
under careful observation, and gen.
eral increase in the number OF cases
is expected before June 10.
Some people still seem to think, p"
said Health Commissioner Williams
today, that typhoid originates in
water or in some other mysterious
source beyond their control As a
matter of fact. typhoid can only be
contracted by taking into the body
germs that have come from the body
of some other person. Man pollutes
the water from which other persons
may get the germs of typhoid. Man
puts into food. through his own filth.
the germs that may destroy others.
Even the fly, which is rightly regard
ed as the most dangerous insect Of
this climate, can only spread typhoid
when mans carelessness has exposed
fifth to the flies.
Must Dispose of Waste.
'On this simple and often-tested
basis, the whole theory of typhoid
prevention Is based. We must go dis
pose of the filth from the human body
that II cannot reach the food or drink
of man, or be carried TO him on the
feet Of flies. This is the sum and sub
stance of the methods OF prevention
that have to be applied as circum
stances require.
The dangers of human fifth are
complicated by the fact that unsus-
pected persons sometimes harbor
the germs of typhoid md discharge
them regularly or intermtltcntiy. Most
people realize that there Is danger
from an active case OF typhoid in tho
home or in the neighborhoo1, but
many do not seem to realize that there
Is likewise danger from typhoid car
rlers' --people who have had the dis
ease and have apparently recover ed,
but still carry the germI In addi-
ttCn. 1t seems that q few people who
are for some reason i'm mune ana have
no history of typhoid are also car,
riers.' To guard against these. all
human filth must be treated ms though
1t were infected and must he disposed
of so that II cannot possibly reach
the bodies of healthy persons. The
first essential lis a sanitary clubhouse.
regularly used by all members of the
family. The second is watersup-
ply. so located and protected that It
cannot be polluted. The third Is
protection of food supplies. notably
OF milk from polluted water. infested
persons and flies.
\ Dangerous misunderstanding.
There is a dangerous nlisunder-
standing as to the amount of infected
matter necessary to cause typhoid.
Some think the disease can be spread
when there Is vast deal of filth.
This of course, increases the hazard,
but cleanliness, to be protective, must
he absolute. Enough germs can be
carried in a particle OF fifth scarcely
visible. to infect an entire COM
munity."