Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-09-30
DISEASE IS FAST INCREASING
Vermin Thrive While Disinfectants
and Aids to Cleanliness Are Lack
ing-Galicia, the Ukraine and
Hungary Are Mos infected.

Berne, Switzerland.-"Lack of soap
end of all aids to cleanliness Is the
main cause, after undertaking, of the
appalling death rate from disease in
central Europe generally" said q dis
tinguished physician who had just
been travelling through these regions.
Everywhere fn Austria, Hungary. Po-
land, Bohemia, Russia and even Ger.
many, typhoid, spotted, typhus. dysen-
terry, scurvy and tuberculosis have
Increased; and modern hygiene is now
unable to localize these scourges be-
cause Of lack Of ~disinfectants, linen
and soap and, above all. of disinfect-
Ing stoves or chambers. In which SOL
di3rs' clothes can be placed and kept
1t q temperature which kills all
yermin.
The most diseaseinfected regions
on the continent now are Galicia, the
Ukraine and Hungary. In these coun-
tries thousands Of soldiers meet
Russians returning home from Ger
many Austrians, Hungarians and Ger
mans returning from Russia; Croa-
tians and Serbs going southwark, and
Poles going northward.
Soldiers In Shocking State.
DR.. r. Blanchod, a F~rench-Swiss.
who recently visited Budapest on be-
half of the Geneva Red Cross and
spent some time in q military depot
there, where an attempt, at any rate,
Is made to receive all these different
soldiers as they pass through, 0 T
them out into their different nationafi-
ties and at the same time rid them OF
Iyermin, describes them as being clad
IN rags and animals skins, chiefiy
sheepskins or goatskins, and wearing
greasy skin caps on their heads. their
feet and legs being bandaged up In
rags and untanned leather. Not one
Of them has now any sort OF unifarm.
and as many Russians, after years OF
captivity In Germany have harmed to
1 speak German and many Hungarians
have learned Russian they contrive 10
pass themselves OFF as belonging TO
whatever nationality best suits them
for the time being. 1t Is Impossible
therefore, really to sort them, or TO
know where they belong.
All these unfortunate and filthy men
are, In plain English, covered with lice,
which ere the sole propagators OF
spotted typhus. Many of them do their
best to avoid going near any military
Hepot which has means of disinfection,
because their wretched rags, once put
into the disinfecting chamber, simply
fau to pieces, and as there Is no fresh
clothing to give them in exchange, they
feel themselves worse off than before.
Try to Avoid Distinction.
MANY Of these men leave the Depot
wearing nothing but their sheepskins
Sr o~yercoats, any apology for under
clothing which they may have had hav-
ing been destroyed in the process OK
jdtsinfection. So anxious are some OF
Them to avoid being examined or hav-
Ing their clothes disinfected thar
very often when a train Of repatriateo
soldiers arrives at Budapest, Vienna
Or some other place the soldiers begin
to jump of 1t as soon as 1t siacKens
down before arriving at the railway
station: and thus they enter a CITY
without the authorities knowing anu
Of course, spread their lice ana ther
disease.
Some of the men were already SUI
fering from spotted typhus wniie Oh
their Journey, and had, Of course IN
facted others. 1t Is. indeed, often I'M
possible to diagnose the disease unless
4 mans skin has first been thorougniy
washed with slap. Matters are sun
further complicated because a soldier
sa = rule win not say that he Is III IN
IN he can no longer crawl about !ae
h-osnttals are oyercrowded with as