The northwestern bulletin., 1923-08-04
!: Health Talk
BY DR.. j. w. Crun,p

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
1t has been suggested that we give
a little treatise, at this time on ty-
phoid fever, but the subject is one
that cannot be fully discussed in an
article of this length, so we will at
tempt first to give the cause and
mode of transmission of this disease,
and later to describe the symptoms
and prophylaxis or means of avoiding
the malady.
Typhoid fever is general infec-
tion which means that the whole body
contains the germs caused by the
bacillus typhoses and characterized
by fever, diarrhoea, abdominal ten
derness and tympanites or gas on the
bowel. The disease is especially pre-
valent in temperate climes and is
widely distributed throughout the
world. Men and women are equally
susceptible, but it shows a fondness
for youth. attacking young people be-
tween the ages of Is and 35, though
persons of any age may be affected.
The bacillus typhosis or typhoid
germ is a member of large family
of germs who have common charac-
teristics, but who do not all cause
fever. They live and grow best in
the human intestines and are spread
by the pollution of water, with sew
erage, and for this reason typhoid
fever is known as the most serious
water-borne disease.
1t is not well to get the idea that
only through drinking polluted water
can you become infected, for there
are many other modes of transmits
sion, notably by the famous three
."F's"-Food, Fingers and Flies.
Food may be contaminated either
by washing 1t in water, which is pol
luted, or being exposed to dust, which
contains the germ in dried form. or
by being handled by a person whose
fingers are contaminated.
This brings us, naturally. to our
second agent, fingers. The fingers
may be contaminated in the same way
as food, or nurse or other attend
ant in waiting upon typhoid patient
may soil their fingers from the linen
or other sick room accessories.
Probably one of the best advertised
and most unique forms of finger pol
luton is seen in the case of the "ty-
phoid carrier" A typhoid carrier
is person who, having had the dis
ease, RECEIVERS but retains in his body
either in the gall bladder, the liver,
the spleen or the bone marrow some
of the typhoid germs. These germs,
while they are harmless to the car
rier, whose body has overcome their
poison and become immune, are not
harmless to others, and as the germ
is being constantly given off through
the kidneys or bowels of the carrier
| it can be readily seen that such a
person is a menace to anyone with
whom he comes in contact, especially
If he is concerned in the preparing
or serving of food. Flies are our next
agency in spreading the typhoid germ
and anyone who is familiar with the
habits of the house fly can readily un-
derstand that he is capable OF broad
casting the germs. His mode of life.
his diet and his ungentlemanly per-
sistence in pushing in where he is not
welcome make him an ideal distribut-
ing agent from the standpoint of the
bacillus typhosis.
These, however, are not the only
means by which any of us may be
infected with the germs of the dread
disease, but they are the chief means.
We might mention the growing of
vegetables on soil fertilized with dis
charges containing the typhosis bacil-
lus or to the consumption of oysters
which are taken from water con-
taminated with sewerage, and numer-
Gus other means, but in the main IL
we guard our drinking water, which
in the city is usually entirely safe,
and avoid the danger of the three
"F's." we will be reasonably safe
from the attacks of B. Typhosis Esq
CONTINUED next week.