Show Daily Health t I Servi Service e eBy By fly DR MORRIS FISHBEIN FIS BEIN The most common method of transmitting transmitting trans trans- the organism n of amebic dys dy dysentery is through the contamination of food and drink by food handlers who happen to be carriers of ot the These food handlers may be waiters wait walt ers erSt cooks dishwashers or any other kitchen help in ina a family or in a B hotel Even the common fly might bring this disease to your our household if you dont don't screen windows and doors The fly feeds on excretions from which he then can c arry carry the organism and deposit it on food lood In China and Japan human frequently are used as 33 fertilizing fertilia- fertilia ing material for vegetables This is Lc isa isa a serious menace to health because it ha has been shown that the cysts of ot this parasite will remain alive in the moist excretions for as long as two weeks and vh when n the they contaminate the vegetables vegetable they in this way Sway may transmit the disease Since the organism may live In in- Inthe the intestines for months or years withOut without with with- out prod producing cIng serious symptoms ii it itIs Itis Is not possible to say Just how long longa a time is required for tor infection to develop However there is 13 some good evidence that the swallowing o othe of the cysts of ot Is followed in in from 10 to 95 days with an average period o of 65 days by the beginning of the symptoms symptoms' characteristic charac charac- o of this disease Usually the disease comes on suddenly sud suddenly denly but most often it begins with mild diarrhea which gradually becomes be becomes comes wor worse e. e When the disease begins begins be be- gins suddenly there is severe abdom inal pain with nausea and vomiting and a chilly sensation The irritation of the bowel becomes acute and th the patient tries to evacuate the bowel bowe repeatedly This Irritation ma may be so constant constan that the number of actions of ot the bowel will vill vary from six to eight in 24 hours to as many as 30 to 40 in 2 24 hours A As a result the patient rapidly becomes becomes becomes be be- comes exhausted complains of achIng ach aching Ing in the b back ck and weakness weakness' in the th legs and is likely to be bc depressed mentally There may be little or no fever even in severe cases caces the tern tem reaches at most from to degrees but in very severe cases it may go hi higher her As result of ot the excessive action o othe of the bowel such patients have tenderness ten ten- in the abdomen the skin ap ap appears appears pears sallow and jaundiced and th the patient loses weight rapidly ly The doctor will want to examine the blood t to find out how much th thred the red cells of the blood have been injured injured in and a also o whether there is an any significant rise in the number o ol oj i white blood cells Frequently the distinction between this condition appendicitis and peri peritonitis per pen will depend on careful exam examination examination examination of ot the blood |