C.S.M.

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2984, 23 January 1917, Page 5

C.S.M.

THE LATEST ABOUT A CAMP MENACE. ' FRESH AIR THE GREATEST DEFENCE; A recent number of the "Lancet" contains an important article by Dr. Halliday Sutherland, temporary surgeon; ii.N., on "The Origin and Prevention of G'erebro-Spinal Fever," giving further evidence in favour of his discovery that warm saturated air is tho actual determining ca.us© of the spread and incidenco of spotted fever. "On February 5, 1916, between the hours of midnight and 2 a.m., and between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m.," Bays the writer, "I visited barrack-rooms in which over 2000 men were sleeping. Ona example of the conditions which prevailed will suffice. Room 15 3 was occupied by 16 men, which allowed. 670 cubic feet per man. Of 12 windows only one was slightly open at tho top. Tho air was hot, close, nauseating, and oppressive, while the moisture of condensation was streaming down tho windows. I contend that the amount of cubic space per man is not a safe guidte to the efficiency or deficiency of ventilation, which must bo judged on common-sense data." In- the course of the articlo the writer assures tho Service authorities that no cases of spotted fever will occur in the Navy or Army provided they adopt the few simple and inexpensive measures which he has advocated for ■the past eighteen months, and whose utility has now been proved by actual experiment on 2000 troops. Briefly, his renledy is open windows, day and night, in all weathers. The writer explains his preventive method as follows: — •. Once cerobro-spinal fever has ' appeared in any community, bacteriological examination of the contacts discovers the number of infected persons. Theso are regarded as potential cases of tho disease, and the development of the malady among such people can sometimes, but not always, be prevented by the local application of antiseptic sprays or vapours _ to their throats. , This treatment, if efficient, also prevents the further spread of infection, but of necessity it has a very limited' application. It is no more, practicable to free tho throats of the entire population from meningococci tihan it would bo to attack tho widespread distribution of the pneumococcus as a saprophyte in tho throats of healthy people. To control tho spread of infection onco it has arisen is wise, but it would be infinitely wiser to .prevent the possibility of infection in tho first instance. TBio means of prevention are simpleAll windows must be open day and night, and to prevent tho "necessity *or closing them in rain or iu wind, a weather-board of 18 inches in depth is fixed inside the lower part of tho window at an anglo of 45deg., so that the lower sash may be screwed up one foot from the A night patrol may bo required to sco that tho between the -window and the weatherboard is not covered over with' clothes to kcop out tbo air. In the barracks •to which I liavo referred theso alterations wore cai'ricd out tit a> cost of £200. No further cases of cerebrospinal fever appeared, and tho incidence of respiratory diseases showed a remarkable fall. Theso simplo measures soon savo their cost in preventing tho possibility cither of infection or disease, in ol>vi<vting tho necessity for an enormous amount of expert bacteriological work, in diminishing tho incidence of all affections of the respiratory system, -and in raising tho general health of those to whom they aro applied. ,' , i If these statements arc tested on a largo scale by "tho authorities during tho coming winter there will ho no cases of cerebrospinal fovor m trie Services. There would ho nothing very remarkable in such a fortunate result, for the power whoso aid is hero invoked is the vis mcdicatrix naturae.