The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-07-27
HOrnady to Urge Passage of
All Measures Recommend
ed By DIR. Lumsden
SHOULD BE ALARMED
OVER TYPHOID FEVER
Two Additional Cases of Infantife,
Paralysis Reported-Dr. CASTOR
Issues Statement of Facts
About Disease

1t was officially announced at the
offices of the health department yes
terday afternoon that eight additional
cases of typhoid fever had been re-
ported, which brought the total to $40
cases since the first of the present
month
Another death from typhoid fever
was also announced, which brought
the total number of deaths to 20 for
the month of July.
City Health Officer DR.. Cecil d. Gas
ton announced two additional cases
of infantile paralysis in the city of
Birmingham yesterday afternoon. This
brings the total number to five cases
of infantile paralysis within the pre-
cincts of the city. 1t is reported that
there are II cases within Jefferson
county. The authorities state they have
the situation we'll in hand.
Commissioner of Health and Educa-
ton John r. Hornady stated yester-
day that the people of Birmingham
were much more alarmed over the
scare of infantile paralysis than over
typhoid fever, and he deplored this
state of mind.
SHOULD BE ALARMED
"xya should he alarmed over tvnhoid
fever" said Mr.. Hornady, land the
present number of cases of infantile
paralysis do not compare with the
gravity of the present tvnhoid situa-
ton
This morning at 10 o'clock the city
commission will meet in an executive
session to consider the health orGi-
nance bv Commissioner Hornady. Mr..
Hornadv announced last nie.ht that he
would urge the massage of every health
ordinance recommended by DR., L. l..
Lumsden. the federal expert
The "drv closet ordinance is one
that NAV meet possible opposition owing
to the fact that it will take about $40, 600 to
carry out it's provisions and the city COM
missioners are at a loss to know where
they are going to get $4,000, or 20 cents,
for that matter.
The work of vaccination picked up
a little yesterday, as many persons
who had been sufficiently scared up
appeared to take shot" The ne
groes were vaccinated in goodly num-
bers.
1NEANT11E pApAIvcIc
Law ~ LIE Hi. oo
In regard TO the SITUATION on IN
Dr. Cecil D. CASTOR issued statement
yesterday afternoon concerning the
facts about this dreaded disease. The
statement follows:
"Infantile paralysis is an infectious and
communicable disease caused by the aG-
ton of specific definite virus in the
human body.
Before susceptible individual can de-
velop the disease contact must be made
with discharges from the nose, throat or
bowels of an infected person.
The secretions from the nose and
throat are distributed by coughing.
sneezing, expectorating and kissing, and
are readily conveyed by means of fingers,
handkerchief and other articles which
are accessible to contamination. More
over, the virus withstands for a long
time the highest summer temperature and
complete drying; therefore, it is rea SON
able to believe that secretions which have
gained access to dust might make this
dust another potential source of infec-
ton. The ordinary domestic fly may be-
come contaminated with the virus con-
tanned in the secretions of the body and
served as an agent of transportation to
persons and to food with which it comes
in contact Domestic animals, as the dog
and cat, may visit an infected home and
transport infected secretions.
vA>rDc oD .v,,IN
~ Ia w
similar TO typholu leVer, the rate IN
cldence OF lhIantile paralysis lies IN the
hands OF lay individuals. In hospitals in