Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-11-13


THUksbAY-THE ROCK IS
THE NATIONAL GERM SUPPLY
BY H1xpKRlC < HAsKN.
Especial Correspondent q The Argus).
Washington. D, c.. Nov. ILL you live IN
. region where typhoid fever occurs regularly
ron should make yourself immune to this DIS
ease BY Vaccination
The efaeacy Of vaccination against typhoid
fever IL one thing which. Tie war proved con-
clusively. Typhoid fever Was practically elm
BY careful hygienic regulations. but the use
OF the typhoid vaccine was undoubtedly :
large factor IN the conquest Of this disease.
which has taken heavy toll Of almost every
Other army. Ss
The scientists proved the efficacy Of their
typhoid vaccine By trying It on animals before
they gave It to men But they also proved
it, value BY actuAl results. Dysentery, for
example, which r spread IN exacfly the same
ways a. typhoid, was widely prevalent An
anti dyseutsry serum has been devised but +
was not widely II successfuliy used It seems
certain that the me Of antttyphoid vaccine
made Ill of the difference in pl@Salence be-
tween typhoid and dyssntsry.
There d disease veEy similar to typhoid
known q plxatyph0id. During the early part
Or the war, vaccine against typhoid only waA
given. Paratyphoid became common. Organ
isms Of this disease were then included in the
doses Of vaccine given. and paratyphoid also
was practically eliminated
In the early stages Of the war, when the
use Of the vaccine was still regarded a. expert
mental, al of the men OF some regiments were
vaccinated, while all Of those Of others, living
under similar conditions were left unvacci-
mated. The occurrence Of typhoid In the two
bodies was carefully compared. It showed con-
clusively that the vaccinated men were practt-
cally immune to the disease, while the un-
vaccinated were prey to It.
Among the civilian population Of this coun-
|try the occurrence Of typhoid fever has been
greatly reduced in recent years BY the fm7
provement Of water supplies. Yet typhoid still
takes Q heavy toll Of life in the United States
every year, and most persons do not seem to
realize that 1t il possible to make themselves
immune to this disease by simple and, in
expensive operation.
At present, vaccination against typhoid Is
not only inexpensive, but Ii free to all Ameti-
can citizens. An order was issued during the
war directing the public health service to vac
cinate against typhoid fever any civilians who
applied for such treetment. The order is still
IOfCe. II yOV Will gu " tA0 PuOA1C hoessn
station nearest your home and apply for vac
cination, it will be given you free Of charge.
Some state health departments also offer IL
freq Some OF the state health departments
are lust e. competent Is the federal health
service, but this il not true of all Of them. Il
would be well to 90 to . public health officer
II possible, for the vaccines and serums made
in the hygienic laboratory are the best in the
country. They are. in fact, the standards nc
cording to which all others are manufactured
Few Americans realize that great labora-
tory Is maintained in Washington for the pur-
pose Of protecting the public against inferior
and fraudulent serums and vaccine9 Nor do
many of them realize what enormous Quanti-
ties Of these preparations are made and used;
nor how essential they are to the maintenance
| Of health. Smallpox vaccine Is the only one
Of these preparations that is well known to
the public. Yet anti-diphtheria serum and anti
tetanic serum are now the standard remedies
against diphtheria and tetanus Typhoid, vac
cine has become recognized ~ an almost sure
preventative of that disease. Rabies. or hydro
phohia, one Of the most terrible diseases known,
can be cured surely by the use OF biological
product and in no other way.
| This use Of germs and germ products in
combating disease Is one Of the lines along
which medical science Ii advancing most rap
idly. It Is one Of the most cheering phases Of
civilizations battle against disease and death.
New serums and vaccines are being expert
imented with constantly. Right now, for ex-
ample, the hygienic laboratory is experiment.
ing with snti-pneumococcus serum. which is a
serum designed to prevent pneumonia. Il al
ready seems certain that this serum does good
in some cases and against some forms Of the
disease. All Of the personnel Of the hygienic
Laboratory have been inoculated with this Sc
rum as q part Of their experiments In ALL
the laboratory has about ten thousand persons
M ahanpv0f}nH whn hAun hQan fPnafoS nth