Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-08-03

The following, which has beel
prepared for The Argus on the sub
ect of typhoid fever and its causes
" a high medical authority, is o
imely interest in both Rock Islam,
nd Moline:
Typhoid Fever.-A disease,
epidemic in character. produc-
ed by the typhoid germ whose
mode of entrance is by the
mouth and which lodges in the
intestines. producing prOstra-
ton, fever, diarrhoea, perfora-
ton of the intestine from ulcer
formation, and death from hem
orrhage and general system
attic infection.
Modes of Infection
Water,
Sewage,
Milk.
Flies,
Feces, i. e., diarrhoeal ex-
creta.
Open vaults,
Carriers,
Vegetables,
Bad ventilation,
Overcoming,
Sanitation of vending places,
j. e., ice cream and soda foun-
tain vendors.
Water-Filtered waters are
not fit for use when bacteria
logical examination for fecal
contamination from sewage
waters, by dilutiOns. shows the
presence of the colon bacillus,
a normal habitat of the intes-
tines, in a large proportion OF
1 c. c. samples. If found IN
over one 10 c. c. portion, the
water is unfit for use. None
should be present in wells or
ground water, although an oc-
casional colon bacillus in a sur
face water may be explained as
arising from other than focal
contamination
Water pollution of wells and
springs arise from surface sew
age seepage to adjacent wells
and springs from carriers who
have or have had typhoid, con-
Eliminating the waters for the
spread of the infection to COM
munities at a distance.
Frequent flushings of water
hydrants is necessary.
Sewage. sewage should
be carried away from the source
of water supply to prevent
drainage into the wells or
springs by the sub-strata
streams which constantly flow
by gravity to its point of collec-
ton. and when no flltering is
available, boiling of waters
where questionable is advisa-
BILE. Sewage waters, when
properly filtered, are fit for use.
Milk.-The question of milk
in the typhoid problem opens a
wide field of investigation, di-
vided as follows:
% Investigation Of diaries
and their personnel;
90 Inspection of diaries
and meteorological examination
thereof;
90 Methods of delivery from
the producer to the consumer.
In regard 70 the first, all milk
dairies should h. licensed. sub
ject to frequent Investigation
by qualified municipal inspec-
tors under the authority OF the
board Of health, TO see as TO the
sanitary conditions Of barns
and dairies, to be able to offer
sanitary suggestions to the
dairyman as to the proper care
of the udder, sterilization of
vessels and utensils, see to the
removal of manure which is a
breeding place for flies, the per-
sonal cleanliness of the milk
man and a typhoid history Of
the family, past and present.
The insiStenCe of the mainte-
nance of steam steriliZing of all
bottles and vessels IS impera-
tive. Milk samples should fire.
quently be taken direct from
the milk bottle of the producer,
while delivering. for bacteriO-
logical examination, and when
found 10 contain a high per
centage of bacterial contents,
should be reported to the health
authorities for special investi-
cation. Milk should be kept at
required cooling temperature
from the producer TO the con-
sumers to retard multiplication
of the bacterial contents. De-
livery of milk should be pro-
hibited in vessels other than the
original bottle of the producer.
Hard, packed clay. simpregnated
with crude oil in layers, in
barn stalls. and the immediate
removal of manure droppings