Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1917-10-12
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= STATE HEALTH NOTES q
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tBy DR.. John B. Duke. State Health
Commissioner
Preventing Typhoid Fever.

preventing TyphOid Fever.
American public health authori-
ties are hopeful that one Of the in
direct results of the war and of the
training of hundreds OF thousands
of the young men of the country will
be a decrease in typhoid fever fol-
lowing the war. Taking the country
as whole, typhoid Is one of the
most serious diseases. probably rank
ing next to tuberculosis in its NOR
tality and mOrbidity toll. Yet It is
practically absolutely preventable
disease. Any community can protect
itself frmo a typhoid epidemic. Any
individual can avert danger OF the
disease. The precautions are we'll
known. What is needed is education
of the public as to the advantages OF
these precautions.
Typhoid fever was for centuries
great scourge OF armies. Always un-
I'll few years ago its toll was heav-
Ter than that taken by the enemy.
In our Spanish american war the
losses from typhoid were many times
higher than from Spanish bullets. In
this greatest of all contests, in which
millions OF men are engaged, in
which many of the conditions, espec-
tally in the trenches, are unhygienic
and insanitary. typhoid is practically
unknown. 1t has disappeared from
the American army. There is no
mystery about this change. It is true
that greater precautions were taken
to insure the purity OF food and wat
er. but the great reason for the dis
appearance Of typhoid is that SOL
diers are inouculated against It.
incubation which has protected
the soldiers will equally protect the
civil population. The trouble in the
past is that many persons have not
understood the facts about vaccina-
tion. The presence in every State
of thousands of soldiers who have
been thus inOculated is certain to
have immense educational effect in
this direction, both during and after
the war. Purity of food, water and
milk supply is also Of great prevent
i've value. But for a direct practical
precautiOn the perso nwho wishes to
be protected against typhoid should
use the method which has been so
thoroughly and successfully tested.
The operation of typhoid vaccination
is simple and almost painless one.
Some persons are affected only to a
slight degree by II and no one Is ser
iOusly affected.
Normal Health.
An examination recently made In
connection with a campaign of life
extension work showed out of more
than 500 persons between the ages
Of 2 and 65 only ten were found to
be physically normal. OF course It
is not to be expected that the per-
centage OF absolutely physically nor
NAL persons will be high. NevertheS
less. these figures show rather
alarming condition. They are the
more significant because large pro-
portion Of the persons suffering from
disease had neglected to take proper
precautions.
One Of the most striking and de-
plorable conditions was the high per-
centage of cases of neglected teeth
and more or less infected gums. The
percentage of the nose and throat
infections also ran high. while 2S
per cent OF the persons examined
were found with more or less mark
ed derangement of the nervous sys-
tom. chiefly neurasthenia Most of