Show Lei Let Our Motto Mollo Mell Be I GOOD BY DR LLOYD LLOyO HEALTH ARNOLD I Professor or of f Ity and an Pre Preventive Pre Pre- Medicine University f Illinois i College or of r Medicine Q TYPHOID FEVER NOW A COUNTRY DISEASE Tile The contracting of ot typhoid te fever er erby by a tl group of ot circus performers last year received n a aw w great de d deal e a 1 ot of 1 publicity In the newspapers throughout hout the country II Fifty t t Y r years ago happening would not have been considered head head- headline headline head 11 line n e news Deaths from ty ty typhoid were then too common In Ion Chicago a e In the three years ears p preceding the Worlds World's Fair Fall of ot 1893 there were approximately deaths from ty typhoid Now with a n population ot of OVer three minion million Chicago has an average death rate from Crom typhoid ot of about eighteen a year The rural section of or the state however has a much greater pro pro- proportion proportion portion of ot deaths In 1930 there were deaths from typhoid t fever teer In Illinois The number of ot cases has bas dropped proportionately too Typhoid originally a city disease has now become a country disease I This is because sanitation has been developed in the cities tides and larger towns while in the country districts the drinking water is too often ohen con con- contaminated contaminated contaminated with sewage In the country districts people drink raw milk In the cities clUes pas pas- pa pasteurization Is required Health om cers hope that some day they willbe will willbe be able to stamp out typhoid fever completely Typhoid Is a filth disease It was suspected of ot being that for some gome sometime sometime time Ume but It was not until the germ causing the disease was discovered by Professor Protessor Eberth In Germany In 1830 that we were able to under under- understand understand stand why typhoid fever Is associated associated with filth Typhoid fever Is infectious each new case cage Is caused by swallowing typhoid germs and the germs perms are In the feces and sometimes the urine excreted by a person who has typhoid Then when thIs excreted material gets Into the drinking water of ot humans and Is used for tor washing raw v vegetables or fruits or It gets directly on the hands of or persons handling milk or food then a person swallowing this contaminated water milk or food tood foodstuffs stuffs stutts to contract contrad the dis- dis disease dis disease ease There are more cases of ot typhoid fever in the tho late summer and early fall taH than at nt any other time timo of ot the year lar This Is for two rea reasons ons first because e typhoid germs grow b best St In warm weather and sec sec- second second ond ond because man Is more susceptible table tible to typhoid fever during this season of oC the year ear than In the cold months Under normal conditions the stomach stomach ach and Intestines can cnn destroy ordinary nary doses of oC bacteria swallowed wIth the food tood for a n healthy Intes Intes- Intestinal Intestinal Intestinal tract has bas an enormous power ot of self But when a person has diarrhea or other di dl digestive g disturbance this power or of destroying bacteria Is lost lost and It Is 18 easy y to become Infected Typhoid carriers are arc either cither per per- ncr ncr- I II sons ons who have havo such mild cases caes or of typhoid fever fefer that no one suspects them of or having typhoid or else elgo per per- persons persons persons sons who have had typhoid fever fefer and apparently are nrc recovered but were left lett with small ulcerated areas s sIn In the tho sail gall bladder and adjacent re- re re regions gions glons The germs grow In these those dis- dis diseased dis diseased eased parts parta and are ore passed Into the digestive tract and on down to the feces These persons though innocent of or wrongdoing ore are a n men men- menace menace ace nce to health wherever they are for tor they are walking reservoirs of typhoid germs germ They should never be allowed d to handle bandle milk or foods ot of any kind Most state depart departments ments of ot public health require that an all food tood handlers and persons work working In ing In connection with dairies be examined periodically to determine whether they are rare carriers of oC typhoid germs erm It is comparatively simple to pro pro- protect protect pro protect oneself against known C carriers of typhoid germs but it Is practically impossible to protect oneself against the unknown C carriers In tho the research laboratories ot of the University of ot Illinois College e ot of Medicine Dr Lars Gulbrandsen rOo ro- re recently discovered a method of oC whIch X-ra X ray X-ray treatments could be over the liver and gall gnU blad blad- bladder bladder der of typhoid carriers and cure these people of or the carrier state These X ray treatments are not se- se severe se severe vere ere but bot are In fact very light doSS doses of X-ray X given once every two weeks and repeated five or six times The patients are not sick They do not Dot go 10 to bed and the typhoid ty- ty typhoid ty typhoid bacteria gradually disappear from the feces This Is a discovery discovery cry ery of ot great grent value It means that soon as soon as nI typhoid carriers carrier are known they can start treatment and they will no longer be bo barred 1 from handling milk and other food tool foodstuffs foodstuffs stuffs But Hut more Important from the public standpoint It means menns that these reservoirs of ot Infection can n h be eliminated It marks a great step forward In our conquering of ot ty- ty ty typhoid 6 C W N Vale Union |