The Prevention of Typhoid Fever

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume III, Issue 2, 1 April 1910, Page 70

The Prevention of Typhoid Fever

An interesting article by C. W. H. Robree, m the " Maryland Medical Journal," is thus summarised: (1) Typhoid fever is both infectious and contagious. The old dogma that typhoid fever is infectious but not contagious has slain its thousands and tens of thousands ; (2) Two-thirds of the cases of typhoid fever are due to infected water supplies ; one-sixth of the cases are due to infected milk, and the remaining onesixth to flies, direct contact, and other means of contagion ; (3) In the United vStates 50,000 persons annually are massacred by typhoid fever. In the State of Maryland alone nearly 500 deaths each year are due to typhoid fever ; (I) Every case of typhoid

fever comes from a pre-existing case of typhoid fever ; hence a complete and thorough disinfection of all excreta is the first step towards prevention. By so doing we strike at the fountain head of the disease ; (5) t Food, fingers and flies/ offers an alliterative explanation of much of the hitherto unaccounted for typhoid fever — the so-called prosoclemic typhoid ; (6) When typhoid fever is raging there is safety m boiled water, pasteurised milk, and cooled vegetables and fruit. Pasteurised milk is heated to 160 degrees Fah., kept at that temperature for fifteen minutes, and then quickly cooled. — From the li American Journal of Nursing."