The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-01-12
POPULAR MEDICINE
BY DR.. HIRSHDERG
intelligent Observation Of Rules
Of Hygiene viii De-
crease Illness.
NJ DIR. LEONARD X. HIRsHBERG.

NJ bn' LEONAtb ~. hhhshno'
Laziness, inertia and resistance to
change seem to be inherent In most
persons. Tell Sarah Smith she viii
never have typhoid or smallpox II
she takes the typhoid bacteria vac.
cine for the one, and smallpox glycer-
Inc vaccine for tho other, and she
will not bother herself one bit TO
safeguard her life, her health or that
of her children and her family.
Jim Smith, her husband. Is, IL pos
sible, worse than she in this respect.
Even when one OF the family falls I'LL
with typhoid, 1t is beyond the power
OF knowledge and will on the part OF
those who know, to persuade the
rest of the household to take the
anti-typhoid vaccine.
Happily, the army and navy have
the power to override the laziness OF
, human nature. They make 1t as
necessary as drilling for the men 10
be immunized to typhoid infection.
Just as some States compel school
children to be rendered immune to
smallpox by smallpox vaccination, the
army and navy have eliminated ty-
phoid fever from all enlisted men.
II every one would conquer his 'hu-
man nature" and constitutional be-
liefs" and force himself and his chill
dren to be revaccinated every five
years with the skin vaccine for small
pox and the hypodermic vaccines for
typhoid and other bacterial diseases,
no more deaths from typhoid fever
or epfdemics of smallpox could ever
occur.
Lnsects n Cause.
At the iPasteur Institute Of Paris,
the birthplace of anthrax, lockjaw
and diphtherla immunity. DR.. Fer
dinand d'Herellc has discovered q new
way to bring about immunity to ty-
Dhoid, paratyphoid, cholera, plague,
lockjaw, and other microbic infec-
tions.
According to Prof. d'Herelle's re-
searches, IL is evident that the much
laughed-at custom. practiced by some
simple-minded persons of wearing
camphor bags, musk sacs and mustard
cloths on necklaces or strings around
the neck to ward of disease Is not
such q superstitious and ridiculous
practice as medical men "reverently"
insist
Prof. d'Herelle finds that fieas, mos
NAANOCoS NCEullh anu OluCT lu1CCIS
which carry disease keep away from
doors which they find obnoxious.
Furthermore, he declares that this ex-
plains why some insect-born diseases,
such as. yellow fever and infantile pa
ralysis, are rare among Africans, who
possess a characteristic odor.
This also explains why insect-born
distempers, such as malaria and gel |
low fever, attack the cleanest and |
best cared for children, those who live |
in the best neighborhoods and homes |
free of filth and bad doors.
How It's Done.
Bacteria which belong to the ty-
phoid and paratyphoid families of ba- ]
cilli can be killed with fragrant oils |
OF musk, camphor, thyme, eucalyptus.
garlic, cloves, cinnamon, citronella, /
marjoram. mustard and others. These
"essentiaP' or volatile" oils not only i
kill germs by direct contact, but IL /
much Of the concentrated essence OF
their odor is emitted as they evapo-
rate. certain species of insects find |
them especially obnoxious.
True enough, these oils do not keep /
away diseases such as typhoid, diph-
iberia, pneumonia, and other bacterial |
infections not carried by gnats and
bugs, but they can be used to kill /
these microbes cultivated in laborato-
ries. The killed cultures" are then
available for vaccines to save human
nature" from its own lackadaisical in
difference.
No.effort has ever before been made
to prepare vaccines with these fra
grant oils. The very fact, however.
that they kill colonies of growths of
bacteria in a better way than heat
and drugs-the methods in vogue for
typhoid and other vaccines-with the
advantage Of not injuring the immu-
nifty forming albumens and ferments
of the bacteria will put e new and
method in the hands OF
scientists with which to vaccinate-I
"to make immune"-man, pets, ami
mails and plants against the diseases
which assault them.
lCopyr't, 1917, by Newspaper Feature s.rviceJ