The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1930-03-13
TYPHOID REACHES LOWEST
POINT IN STATE IN 1929
Reduction of Disease Due to
State Health Organization

Last year, typhoid fever reached
the lowest point that has been record
ed in Maryland. There were 544 cas-
es, 443 in the counties and 1O1 il
Baltimore City, with SO deaths, 43 il
the counties and 26 in Baltimore City
In 1928 there were 753 cases, $50 in
the counties and ia in Baltimore
City with 83 deaths. In 1929 in pro.
| portion to the population, there were
33 cases and A deaths to each 100000
persons living in the State.
What this means in the history Of
typhoid fever in the State is indicated
in the annual report of the Bureau Of
Sanitary Engineering of the State
Department of Health for 1929 in
which the figures for last year are
compared with those of twenty years
ago, when in proportion to the popula-
ton there was ten times as much
typhoid fever in the State-360 cases
and AZ deaths in each 100000 of the
total population. The actual number
of cases reported in 1910, was 4,67S-
there were probably many more that
were not reported-and there were
556 deaths.
The organization of the State into
Sanitary Districts, each under the
charge of a full time Deputy State
Health Officer, was started in 1914
The same year, water supply and sew
erage laws, and other health meas
ures became effective. The decline in
typhoid fever has been gradual since
that time. Commenting on the de-
cline, Mr.. Abel Wolfman, Chief of the
Bureau of Sanitary Engineering, said:
"The sources of the public water sup
plies of the State are to large ex-
tent under sanitary supervision. But
this should not give a false sense of
security. The necessity for the ex-
tension of such supervision and for
the continued efficient operation of all
water treatment plants, is obvious.
The fact that three-fourths of the ty-
phoid we have each year in the coun-
ties, occurs in strictly rural areas or
in areas where mass water supply is
unknown or not feasible, shows US
where effort must be intensified. The
remaining fourth could probably be
traced to human carriers or to care
lessness in observing proper precau-
tions. by those who are brought in
contact with the disease.
Typhoid fever is an unnecessary
disease. Every case that occurs is due
either to community negligence or to
the carelessness or ignorance of some
individual. We had 443 unnecessary
cases of typhoid in the counties and
1O1 in Baltimore City, last year. Re-
duction of that number, this year and
next year and on into the tomorrows
of future years, will depend largely
upon:
Further extension of sanitary su-
pervision over the public water sup
plies of the State;
eternal vigilance in maintaining
the water treatment plants at the
maximum of efficiency;
Extension, as occasion may de-
mand, of the treatment of sewage dis
charges from growing communities;
Prompt investigation of the source
of every case of typhoid that is re-
ported with correction of conditions
that are disclosed;
"Immunization of contacts and al
so of individuals whose occupations
or whose recreation may carry them
into danger zones;
Supervision of carriers; and
Education of all food handlers as
to the absolute necessity for frequent,
habitual and thorough washing of the
hands"