The Monroe journal., 1922-02-10
GREAT CAMPAIGN AGAINST
TYPHOID AND DIPHTHERIA
Result Of Years Work by the State
Board of Health Shows 10000
Persons Made Immune

A reduction Of approximately eighty
per cent in the number of deaths from
typhoid fever within the past ten
years is indicated in preliminary fig
ures compiled by the State Board Of
Health for the year 1921. Starting
with an unusually early spring and
the development of an alarming num-
Der Of cases in the first third of the
year, 1921 proved to be the best yet
recorded in the fight against this
disease, which ten years ago was
claiming in excess of thousand vic
tins each year The total deaths
from this cause for the year, accord
ing to the preliminary figures, was
2S0.
An active anti-typhoid campaign
was inaugurated early in the year
and carried forward in fifty counties
of the state. In this was enlisted
county and city health officers and
large number of private physicians.
In twenty-five of the counties not
having health departments the aid of
eighty-siN physicians was secured for
the purpose of admins ering anti
~ lAu.N NANNlhSs dttN tuS iSsuibS
achieved exceeded any year since this
method OF combating this filth borne
disease has been used in North Caro-
lima.
During the year total of 70.2l1
people were immunized against ty-
phoid fever in twenty-five counties
not having health departments, while
in counties having health officers ap-
proxima.ely 10000 We're immun,zed,
making a total Of about 10000. The
best previous record was in 1915, the
first year a statewide campaign was
attempted, when the total number inn
munized reached $4,000.
Improved sanitary conditions
throughout the state, together with
the large number of people taking
the anti-syphoid vaccine, account, in
the opinion Of health officials, for
the winning fight against the disease.
Ten years ago North Carolina was
among the worst sufferers in the
country from this source, with more
than a thousand deaths and in ex-
cess of ten thousand cases year.
In 1914, the first year for which re-
liable vital statistics are available,
the typhoid deaths totaled s39. The
decrease has been continued nd
marked The figures for the years
tell the story: 1915, 744; 916, 700; |
1917. 1926; 1918, 502; 1919, 427; 1920,
800; 1921, 2S0.
Improved sanitary conditions hold |
first place as the cause of the achieve
ment. Throughout the state there
has been a wonderful betterment in
public water supplies, in safer pro-
duction and handling of milk, and in
the proper disposal of sewage. The
state law requiring sanitary privies |
wherever water sewerage systems |
were not available has probably been |
the biggest single factor. North Caro-
lima has the distinction of being the
only state having such legislation, and
II has been very SUCCESSFULLY en-
forced. The vaccination campaigns |
have during the period conferred tenn
porary immunity upon approximately
one million of the population of the
state, and at the same time have had |
q tremendous education influence to-
ward improved sanitation.
The counties not having health de-
partments in which the campaigns
were conducted last year and the
number immunized in each are as
follows: Camden 1,164, Currituck
l9l, Perquimans 2,136, Pasquotank
1920, Brunswick 2,779, DaYie 1869,
Caldwell 5,l55, Person 3,7l7, Martin
1868, Stanly 5,325, Rutherford 1851,
Warren 3,504, Rockingham, 2,093,
1867, Beaufort 2,292,
Greene 1929, Watauga 2,9l2, Hyde
| SOS, johnson 5,023, Arson 1855,
Montgomery 37S, Alexander 1920,
Burke 1885, Carteret l,l66, Hoke
/ ,02l.
In addition at the same time there
was conducted the first organized
for the prevention of diph-
iberia yet attempted in the state, and
the first on a large scale ever at
tempted in the whole country aside
from New York City. The develop
ment of toxin-antitoxin for the pre-
gention of diphtheria gives assurance
hat through this means the greatest
hanger to young children can be sue
combated. In seventeen of
he above mentioned counties this
treatment was given to childrn, and
a total of l0,607 were rendered i'm
nune from diphtheria.
These results in typhoid and diph-
iberia vaccination were accomplished
by eighty-six physicians in the coun-
ties named, acting in cooperation
With the State Board of Health.