THE TYPHUS MENACE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 45, 17 November 1920, Page 7

THE TYPHUS MENACE

DEPLORABLE POSITION IN EAST-, . ERN EUROPE. "The whole sanitary position in Eastern Europe is absolutely deplorable," said Lieutenant-General Sir David Henderson. K.C.8., Director-General of the League of Red Cross Societies, while on a flying visit to England from the headquarters of the League at Geneva. "Tho gravity of the situation may be judged from the fact that the percentage of typhus this summer is higher than in previous years," Sir David Said, "and other diseases, tuberculosis and venereal disease in particular, are terribly rife." To' an inquiry a3 to the effect upon the situation of peace between Poland and Soviet Russia the • Director-General replied that the position would bo further complicated. "The first offeet would Imj the return of a host of refugees from Russia, to Pol Mid. Esthonia, and probably Rifc mania. This would moan reinfection wytli typhus of these areas and of largo portions of tho remainder of Eastern Europe. If the Polish Army should be completely demobilised it would bo impossible to maintain tho quarantine on the eastern frontier. Before the fiihtilie the Poles did'their best to use their Army as a quarantine barrier against typhus; but demobilisation would make that impossible." Asked wlint measures were required to combat the typhus epidemics, Sir David said:— "In a word, cleanliness. But to carry out a programme of mopping up infected regions involves a good many considerations. lack of clothing is 0110 of the difficulties. If a man has only one suit of clothes, you cannot take it awa.v for • cleansing and disinfecting unless yon supply him with something to "wear in the interval. Tho only garments many of tjjese poor creatures posses would full to pieces if cubjeoted to tho disinfecting process. So we want clothes. Another requisite is hot water. But. in many places thero is no fuel. So we want coal. Again, for' effective oversight it is essential to Iceep the refugees for several, (lavs at the quarantine stations to discover whether they are infected. means an adequate Bupply of food. It is not that food is lacking in Poland, but that throUfch lack of transport it i» not available. 'So we want transport. Those are our main difficulties." Sir David Henderson explained that thero is nothing very "cofnplicnted or difficult about checking the spread of typhus. But there must bo co-ordina-tion of effort. Voluntary societies alone cannoF effect it. • ".Remember this epidemic hns been going on for four years," concluded win Direclor-Giuieivil, ''and that the eflorls made to check It have never been on a large enough scale norsufliciently co-ordin-ated. Now, our plan of campaign is fully drawn up, and we are looking to the British people to supply us through the Imperial War Relief Fund with the rnofna to fret our .machinery infraction.'