The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-05-11
COMMUNICABLE
DISEASES FAST
DWINDLNG HERE
Jefferson County Is Now
Freer Than For Many
Years
HEALTH BATTLE is
SHOWING RESULTS
Mere Than 4,00000e Vaccina-
tions Made Since
First of Year

rSOmmunlcaDte disease u now az
lower ebb in jefferson county, exclusive
Of Birmingham, than at any time for
meay years, according to information
from the health department. During
the month Of April, not a single case of
diphtheria or scarlet fever occurred, and
only four cases Of typhoid fever. Dur
ing the past ten years, this typhoid
record has been excelled only twice.
The typhoid record for the first four
months Of the year Is but 10 cases,
against 80 for last year. ~ for 1922,
and 20 for 1921. As a comparison.
there Nere Al cases in the same period
of 1918, the year in which the health
department began its fight against
disease.
This decrease in disease is attribut-
able to the work Of the county health
department, which has consistently
worked for the reduction Of cOmmuni-
cable disease. This goal is yet far
from accomplished, officials state
Diphtheria prevention is accom-
plished largely by careful and strict
quarantine of cases and by the de-
lection and cure of carriers. The ad-
AulnlalE0AA0n vi lQAhn-AAAAlUAAMs N1AL4
gives practically complete immunity
against diphtheria, has been pushed to
as great extent as funds and personnel
permit.
4y00O VaccinatIons
More than 1900 vaccinations since
the first of the year have been potent
in preventing q greater spread OF small
pox throughout the rural sections.
Smallpox has been unusually prev
alent this year, as compared to the
past few years, when there have been
practically no cases at all, but it has
not reached the point where it il seri-
GUS.
The great campaign Of inOeulatiOns
against typhoid fever, which was be-
gun last year and carried through into
1924. combined with the large amount
Of sanitary work carried on under the
direction Of the department of health,
have been the main factors in the re-
duetion Of typhoid fever, according to
officers. About 6,O0O people have
been protected By means Of anti-typhOid
inocuIations. and nearly 10000 by
means of the installation Of sanitary
OubOunAAug1s anu ts-c improvement va
drinking water.
A large part of this work Of santa
ton has been made possible by the
industrial concerns throughout the
county. The men at the head Of these
concerns have discovered that sickness
is more costly than sanitation. With
the advice of the health department.
many thousands of dollars have been
spent in improving health conditions
The intensive work Of the past three
years has borne such fruit that the
main limitation at the present time Is
the physical one that there are not
enough personnel available to attend to
the work that is waiting to be done.
Work At Leeds
The results Of the work carried on
at Leeds two years ago are familiar.
The first four months of 1922-before
sanitation was begun-shOwed Is cases
Of typhoid in Leeds. During the first
four months of 1924. there has been
but one case The total deaths at
Leeds from all causes have been cut
In half. These figures are the more
remarkable when it is realized than
tA4C RUHuAEtAOM VI lAAGL AO1A 80
doubled, at least, since 1922
The installation of a treatment plant
to sterilize the water at Lewisburg
stopped abruptly a typhoid epidemic
there last May, and there have been
no cases there since, but one. A SINH
lar installation at Bradford resulted In
stopping, almost before il had started,
a probable similar outbreak. At Brad
ford are now being installed nearly 400
sanitary toilets. Work has already
been completed at Majestic, where ey-
cry house is equipped with the same
type Of toilets. Among other towns
sanitated within the past year are &:
Brighton. Rosedale. Porter and War
riOr. Work is now going on, or is
about to start, at I.Oviek. Raimund,
Spaulding. Thermal, New Castel, Pow
hatan and Helen Bess mines Camp
Andrews has been put into first elass
sanitary shape by the Boy Scout au-
thorities, with the advice Of the health
department. The water at the camp
has been tested and found to be safe.
Though much less spectacular than
some Of the other work, the examina-
ton and control Of the water supplies
of the county is one Of the most i'm
portant health problems Of the county
The figures cited by the health de-
partment, while not including Bir-
mingham. do include Bessemer.
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