The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-11-21
SANTA FE TO AID
Road VIII Stamp Out Typhus
Fever Scare.
Special Train Over Road to
Clean Up Mexicans.
DR.. KASTER GIVES STATEMENT
Strict Watch Against Spread OF
Disease Here.
Disinfect and Clean Out All
Bunk Cars Soon.
DR.. KASTER GIVES STATEMENT

Jesus Lopez, a Mexican ldborer, liv-
ing at 2O6 Hancock street, has been
found to be infected with tyi1hus fever,
a disease which has hitherto been
known as Jail fever" and is due TO
conditions of filth and personal I'M
| cleanliness of the patient.
Typhus is transmitted from one pa
tient to another thru the bite of the
| body louise, and a campaign OF clean
ing up and disinfection among the
| Mexicans in East Topeka, was imme-
diately instituted by the boards CT
health of the city and state.
Lopez and the members of the fam
lily with which he has been living,
were quarantined at once, and the
house where they had been living was
Efumigated.
Following the discovery of the dis
ease an examination of all school chill
dren was made, and number were
instructed to go home and rid them
selves of vermin.
The early symptoms of typhus are
similar to those of typhoid fever, tho
the two diseases are in no way related
or similar. The typhus fever lasts two
or three weeks and is accompanied by
eruptions of the skin, resembling
measles About 40 per cent of the
persons attacked by the disease. die.
Lopez has been living in Topeka six
months. His mother left Mexico more
recently, and has been i'll, and it is be-
lieved that she had the disease.
A Santa Fe train equipped with ap-
paratus for instituting of cleanliness
and preventing the disease, is being
fitted out now in Iowa, and will start
on a tour of the Santa Fe system
soon.
Doctor Kaster's Statement.
DR.. ]. P. Raster, superintendent of
the Santa Fe hospital in Topeka, made
the following statement to a reporter
for the State Journal this morning:
'Typhus fever is a disease which is
communicated from one person to an
other only by the bite of vermin.
There is no other way of communicate
ing the disease. If there are no YER
min there can be no typhus fever. A
| person may be infested with Vermin
and still not have typhus fever. 1t is
only the vermin which have been feed
ing on the patient who has typhus
fever that can carry the disease.
Fortunately the vermin will not
communicate the disease to one anoth-
er. Hence, if a patient has typhus
fever and the Vermin are destroyed
! the patient can not communicate the
disease to the attendants. This shows
how easily the disease may be con-
trolled, and how surely. The impor-
tant thing in this connection
is the destruction of body vermin
Z This is surely and quickly done by
) equal parts. 1t is of course necessary
3 to destroy the vermin that may be in
! the clothing. This is accomplished by
boiling clothing that is not injured
cleansed by wetting it with gasoline
and hanging the clothing outside, al
lowing the gasoline to evaporate
Great care must be exercised in using
gasoline, and in order to be safe, cloth.
; ing to be cleansed with gasoline should
| q IA lie do
fore gasoline is applied and not re-
turned to the house until thoroly dry
and all trace of the gasoline is gone.
+ The Only Way.
$ ''Typhus fever cannot be communi.
Gated thru the agency of the air. II
, is only produced by the bite of vermir
$ which have previously fed on the
: body of a patient having typhus fe,
yer.
'Typhus and typhoid fever are two
= distinct diseases produced by entirely
t different causes, and are in no way
| related
g THE United States government i.
/ doing all that it can to prevent tn,
e importation of typhus fever into thi
D country, resorting to the best known
t means of preventing it. Unfortunate
1 | ly, conditions in Mexico are not favor
!, able and many Mexicans are trying t,
V get out of that country. In order t,
do so they, being ignorant, are no
heartily in favor of all the measures
instituted for the purpose of prevent
ing the entrance of the disease.
MANY of them resort to crossin,
# the river outside of the port of entry
even in face of the fact that the Dor
der is patrolled by United States sol
diers.
d 1.-The Santa Fe railroad is NOR
u than willing to do everything reason
l. able for the prevention of the sprea,
= of this disease A moments though
e will show how great an undertaken;
this is. The Santa Fee is now fittin,
up number of cars at Fort Madison
!; Iowa, to be used in helping the stat
board of health to do what disinfect
ing and cleaning is thought necessar
u and best. One car will be fitted to b
u used for the purpose of bathing tn
"a patients; another for the purpose O
y steriliZing the clothing of the pa
- tients; another will be fitted with tn
necessary apparatus and chemical
for the disinfection. Another car wi
be furnished for the comfort of tn
a crew that will have charge of thi
- work.
:, Train to start Soon.
~ ''This project will be under the di
= rect supervision of DR.. NJ. F. BoyC
w of the Iowa state board of health.
"a | will be some time before the SAINT
ar Fe can have the train fitted as desire
e but the work is now going on and tn
n. train will probably be started toda
= or tomorrow.
At "In Topeka, strict watch is bein
Id kept for any possible sickness anon
Is the Mexicans, that might be even sus
N pected of being this disease. All tn
houses in which any member of tn
family has been konwn to visit tn
N house in which the typhus fever pa
tient was found. have been fumigate
to and washed with the coal oil solution
The work in Topeka is being done ur
der the direct supervision of the cit
s. and state boards of health.
is "A campaign for the exterminatio
at of the vermin will be undertaken, an
N is in progress today, taking first a
he places to which any suspicious of DOS
| inf at h