The Wyandotte herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1879-1943, 1943-01-08
'1yphus Danger
Gains on Nazis
Unvaccinated Army in East
10 in Great Focus of
Infection Report.

"ASHINGTON.-The spread of t.
phus IN German-occupied TERRITORY
IN eastern Europe, although not like
~ 70 defeat the German armies BY
ltseh, might bring q beaten army
still lower, the Office of War Infor-
nation reports.
While there has been no statistical
information of typhus conditions in
tnese areas since last May, Owl
SAID, no factor has come to light
since that date to indicate that ty-
pnus conditions have improved, and
several new factors indicate that
they may have become worse"
The report summarized the situa-
ton under four heads, as follows:
i. The German army now con-
centrated In eastern Poland and the
combat zone in the Soviet Union,
where a great focus of infection
has developed, is unvaccinated,
has no previously acquired immuni-
~ and stands in far more danger of
infection than the Soviet forces,
which, although also unvaccinated,
can be assumed to contain a high
percentage of men with previously
acquired immunity.
2. Typhus has broken out in Ger
many among German soldiers, pris-
oners of war and civilians, and al
though publication OF the number of
cases among civilians in Germany
and her annexed territories has been
prohibited this year, it is known
that cases in 1871 totaled 2,35l as
against none in 1888 and 1889 Sc
crecy also applies to cases in the
army and among prisoners of war.
Situation in Poland.
8. The situation inside the govern
ment generals of Poland and the So
called Wartheland, the Polish terri
tory annexed outright by the Ger
mans, is terrible" Conditions
IN Warsaw are extremely bad.
There were only rs cases reported
for the whole Warsaw district on the
first half of 1888 but, according to
German sources, for the first half
of 1910, 1916 cases were reported
for the city and suburbs alone.
4. Typhus conditions in the Nazi
satellite countries of Rumania, Bull
garia and Hungary have shown a
definite trend toward an increase.
In Rumania and Bulgaria, where
the native populations already were
louse-infested, the higher incidence
Of typhus is due to worse living con-
ditions and mass migrations with
out proper sanitary control. Hun
gary, with population largely free
from lice, has had the disease i'm
ported by returning soldiers of its
own and other Axis armies.
Blunder Laid to Expert.
The vaccine situation of the Ger
man army" the report said, ''is
traceable to DR.. Herman Eyer, chief
Of the Institute Of Typhus Research
of the German army ut Krakow.
who appears to have committed q
mistake in handling this job.
DIR. Eyer adopted two vaccines,
both Of which proved so complicat-
ed in preparing that mass produc-
tion Of the vaccines became impos-
sible. As a result, he was able to
Vaccinate only the Reichswehr'
medical and sanitary personnel.
Confronted with charges of misman-
agement, Eyer claimed that he had
picked what he considered the alb
solutely best methods for the prep
>sration of typhus vaccine because
only the absolutely best methods
were good enough for the German
army. At any rate, the German
army, not to mention the civil popu-
aation, was left with no protection
whatsoever.
"As for the Russians, after World
War the terrible epidemic in that
country involved $4,000, 900 to 30
600, 900 cases, figures which refer
mainly to adults since children's in
lection usually show no symptoms
and their cases, therefore, are
not recorded. Hence, in addition to
Russian adults who acquired inn
munity by virtue Of living through
the epidemic, an extremely high
number of men, now of military age,
gained Immunity &C rhildren -