Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-03-24
WILL CUT DEATH RATE
FOR TYPHOID FEVER
Campaign During Coming
Months.
HAVE MADE GREAT PROGRESS
Only Ono Case Last Year Where
There Wcre Three in 100S-NluSt
Make War on Flies to- Fight
Disease.

MAKE W ar oil clteS W FiSh'
Disease.
III he be worthy immortal fame who
makes two blades OF grass grow waers
but one grew before, how happy a'T
gratitied should every man and woma:
be who has had part. large or sma H.
in bringing about a health condition
in Virgins: which has resulted III nut
enc case OF typhoid fever in the year
ending September 80, 1917. where there
were three such cases III the report
ing year of l9QS-co. For every person
who aids in the great life and healt,
saving campaign by proper sanitation
about his own premises and by whole
hearted cooperation in the work of
creating sentiment in his community
looking to better living conditions
therein. is as much soldier Of til"
common good as those more promi-
nentiy connected with the great move
ment one of the most inspiring fca-
lures of the annual report of the state
Department OF Health is tina. rclatinl,
to typhoid fever. one OF those dread
diseases which has claimed its victims
by the tens of thousands. notWith-
standing that IL is rs prcventahlc as
is a connagration from n match head
on which a bucket of water has been
thrown.
Eiria in the war on typhoid. Some ap
probation of the results accomplished
Will he gathered at once from the
statistics relating to tho disease. which
show that where there were. aDprONi-
1iatcly three cases of the disease in
the lGos-o9 reporting year tncr" WAS
but one In the year ending September
20. 1917. In the year covered by the
last report, Virginia set a new low
record in number of cases. there hav
ing been S.137 cases actually reported,
while the Department of Health esti-
mates that there were actually 5,27S
cases in the state. In the previous
year the reported and estimated cases
were, respectively, ABS and $685.. The
hest previous record since the State be-
gan its campaign for disease prcven-
ton in 1908 was in 1914-15.
While favorable seasonal conditions
are always a factor in the typhoid sit
uation, tho Health Department regards
10 per cent in the total number of
cases as adequately compensatory for
the seasonal factor. and. taking 1914
Is RS normal year and mixing due
allowance for climatic conditions there
Still remains margin. Indicative of
genuine sanitary advance.
HOPE TO ELIMINATE
FEVER IN FIVE YEARS
At any rate, when the figures of the
.
with typhoid conditions prevailing the
first year of the present health move
ment, which, IL available data is 10
be regarded. was unusual neither in
The severity nor frequency Of out
breaks. the one great and glorious fact
remains that two-thrds OF the scourcc
which reared its head in this Common
wealth nine years ago has been elm
mated
And IL such progress may be made
IN that comparatively short period with
the masses Of the people little Informed
RS to the germ theory OF disease and
paying little heed to the questions Of
furai sanitation, what may Virginia
not accomplish under wise. active, de-
terinired State and local leadership
and with every Informative agency il,
the bounds of the State co opar,tinr
IN me tight" Is it too much to expect
that. with the health work p-op.rly
supported. rs 1t will be BY an aroused
AND Intelligent citizenship. the recent
declaration of the State Commissioned
OF Health. made in a statcrnen. to a
committee Of the General Assembly.
INA, re would stake his professional
reputation on the virtual elimination
OF ;ynho:d fever in five years if his
department were adequately surport.d.
VIII b" more than made good
IL iwo-thirds of a disease can be
c!Minaicd why not the remaining one
80" ne heaviest tax levied upon
me people is the tax of disease , ,ax
which collects its toll, not ONLY IN
money but in human suffering. IL, loss
Oh ""rhins efficiency, in heart -brcs,i,
ing sorrow. and too often in deatb
itSeh How ShortSichtcd is n policy
ma "oE!d conHemn State or a com
HtuA''I.- is.tAe' payment OF such a tax
"heh Z t!;hc of the money cost thereof
"ouio insure release from the tyranny
OF the Scourge
WITH HIGH LOSSES MUCH
REMAINS 10 BE DONE,
Hear the words OF the men who are
putting their lives In this work. fol-
ing that section OF the report tell
ing OF the methods used and the re
SUITS accomplished in this work:
must not be assumed from this
mat the victory has been wan.
NAV Virginia can relax her efforts
"E"'hst typhoid fever. or that She has
'red'taoiy low morbiiity. ON the
contrary the losses from This disease
are st!!l deplorably high. and rIIrI,
Yet remains TO be done. We can nnIy
sh! mat the road by which we have
advanced is the road that we sti,l
must follow. and We can hope for the
future 10 achieve by the methods We
me- eNp.oyed in tho past. II is per
ltvli! possible completely to eradicate
'!ph"Ii fever from Virginia, ana win.
may not be practicable to u;-1in
tH"t goa! for many. many years. ,berc
no good reason why we may NOT
!|'k forward to the time when instead
OF having $500 cases OF typhoid we
may have none"
what have been the methods us.l :,
"Fl"e about the Improvement noted in
tne typhoid situation The words o.,
ny !.PoIt relative thereto need neither
"hab. inca ton nor explanation:
oo,i,'. 81 course. is due. IN part. to the
hoarI , ., I',e Stt'e board and to local
Dating the disease Tyubnfd fa,ar d.
one OF The best-Enown and mos,.tI,or-
ouEhiE understood Of adj ,b, proynr,
ani, disease The methods Of It's con
,rot, "hiie extensive. are familiar f.