The Palatka news and advertiser., 1917-05-11
Intestinal Disease.

Intestinal Disease.
Again there is a general prevalence
Of typhoid fever and dysentery in sew
eral counties of the state, and, as
usual, it might have been prevented
1t might have been prevented by fol-
lowing the we'll known and time-test-
ed precautions, the details of which
have been preached by the State
Board of Health for years. Typhoid
might have been prevented by the
use of the vaccine which has made the
United States Army and Navy ty-
phoidless.
War and sickness come, often with
out warning and find us unprepared
However it may be with war, it is q
fact that sickness, especially conta-
glous diseases, may be anticipated
and their ravages warded off, and
this leaves no excuse for not being
prepared. This neglect is sin, al
most a crime unpunishable by the
laws Of the state, yet bringing heavy
penalties in suffering and death.
Typhoid and dysenterv are germ
transmitted diseases. The bacillus
Of each is swallowed in contaminated
food or drink and then multiplies in
the intestinal tract Of the patient. 1t
is discharged with the excreta and its
power for harm might end there if
this discharge were burned or buried
SO that the fly could not reach it. It's
a matter too disgusting to be dis
cussed if it were not necessity to
tell it for the warning and the pro-
lection Of those who may be exposed.
The fly, the ordinary house fly,
comes IN contact with the infected
excreta, his legs and body become
polluted with the germ-laden filth.
Then ne hurries away and lights on
unscreened food, which already has
been cooked or is to be eaten without
cooking, and on this he leaves the
through the mouth into the human
system, there to start new case of
the disease. Is there anything in our
domestic life more disgusting or nau-
seating? But it's fact Of daily and
hourly occurrence.
Sickness may come, but the spread
Of such diseases as these can be pre-
vented, and in view Of the serious
ness of the conditions and results, it
is a deadly otfense against society
not to prevent it.
Naturally the proper disposal of
the infected eXcreta is a point of
prime importance in limiting the
spread of disease. 1t is noticeable
that these particular diseases are
more difficult Of control in those sec
tions where there are no, or few, wa
ter-hushed closets in the homes and
no connection with a properly con-
structed sewerage system; in other
words, in those sections where the
neglected surface earth closets is in
general use.
Of course earth closets are neces-
saIy under certain circumstances,
and they are not a source Of danger
Nnen tncy are properly constructed
and taken care of. They should be
made absolutely fy-proof. The State
Board Of Health has prepared specl-
fcations for the construction of these
closets, and copies are to be hal .or
the asking. The cost is only sliGatlv
Greater than that Of the ordinary
building for the purpose, and this diff
ference vanishes when the vastly III
creased efficiency in the prevention
of disease is considered. In cleaning
this closet the contents should be
BURNED or buried in shallow eXca-
vations in dry soil, some distance
away from the water supply.
The price of health is eternal clean
fness and care and watchfulness.
Through the slightest neglect, danger
may come, even as the fly may enter
through an opening too small to be
discovered excepting by the closest
scrutiny.
Good health is the basis of prosper
itv and good morals. In war, sick
ness is the STRONGEST allv of our enc
mics. In peace it wastes our ener-
ripS and our substance. 1t impov-
prishcs US. It's the nooreSt economy
to scrimp and tNke short cuts where
the nrevention Of disease is concern
od.-State Roard of Health Bulletin.