DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 30 October 1901, Page 4

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.

Enteric or Typhoid Fever.

The Department of Health are issuing a scries of pamphlets in regard to the preservation of health and precautions necessary to prevent the spread of disease. We have the first of the number to hand in which a few valuable hints are given on the prevention or tuc above disease. The leaflet says :~"

INFECTIOUS DISEASES.

“Typhoid or enteric fever is an infectious -i.e., a catching-disease, and so may be given to the healthy by all those suffering from it. -It is a fever to which persons of all ages are liable, but it is not quite so common amongst young children. It has been proved time and again that persons who live in dirty and ill-ventilated houses, or in houses with dirty surrounding are especially susceptible to the disease. Foul privies and cess-pits, polluted soils, dirty yards, and badly made drains, are often found about a house where the disease has broken out. SYMPTOMS OF TUB DISEASE. The prominent symptoms of the disease are fever, headache, • and diarrhoea, but some of these symptoms may not be always present, in fact, _ some persons have the disease in so mild a form that they are not obliged to take to their beds; consequently the nature of the disease may go unrecognised. Such cases are a very great source of danger to the community, for the ordinary precautions against the spread of the disease are often not taken. A person suffering from such a mild attack of enteric fever may infect another with, a more fatal form of the disease. how it is SPUE AD. The poison of enteric fever is spread by little particles or germs, not capable of being seen with tbe naked eye, which are contained in the stoo’s and discharges of those persons suffering from the disease. Those germs do not die immediately on leaving the body, but on the contrary, multiply rapidly at first, and if they find a suitable soil they may live for an indefinite period, retaining in a varying degree their power of infection.

After leaving the body tlic infected stools, etc., on becoming dry may be blown about, and so may infect any food or water-supply with, which, it may come in contact. In this manner the germs may enter the body of another person and cause the disease to develope—in fact, in nearly all cases of enteric fever the poison is introduced into the system by means of food or drink, water and milk being particularly favourable agents whereby the disease may be propagated.

It can therefore be easily understood how important it is that measures should be taken to kill these germs directly they leave the body. This can be accomplished either by burning the discharges or subjecting them to careful disinfection with chemicals. TO PREVENT THE DISEASE SPREADING. When a case is suspected of being or is recognised as one of mteric fever, the local authorities.. and district Health Officer may be immediately notified. The duty of . notification rests with the doctor in attendance on the case, the chemist who dispenses the medicine, and the occupier of the house where the patient is (Public Health Act, section 20). Too much stress cannot be laid on the importmce of early notification, for it not only enables the authorities to take prompt precautions against the further spread of the disease, but it is sometimes possible from the very first to stop what otherwise might be an epidemic. PREPARATION OP THE ROOM. If a patient suffering from enteric fever be not removed to the hospital, a light airy room should be chosen, if possible well away from the livirg-rooms' No persons should be admitted to this room except those in attendance on the sick. All superfluous furniture such as curtains, carpets, chests of drawers, &c., should be removed. All linen, bedclothes, &c., that have been soiled by discharges from the sick person should be steeped in a solution of carbolic acid (1 part of acid to 40 parts of water) before they have been allowed to become dry. No food or utensil used by the sick person should be allowed to leave the room without being previously dipped in a similar solution. All discharges, excreta, &c., should be disinfected by carefully treating them with carbolic lotion of the same strength. After such careful disinfection, the discharges can he got rid of either by admission to a public drain, or by being buried a foot and a half below the surface of the ground, well away from any well. By far the safer plan, however, is to burn such motions, and this can bo done in the following manner : Place the motion in any ordinary iron “go ashore ’’ pot or large saucepan, the bottom of which has been covered with tar, then add more tar to completely cover the motion ; add a few drops of kerosene and apply a lighted match, when the whole mass will be incinerated in a few moments.

The importance of thoroughly disinfecting or destroying the washings and discharges of the patients cannot be insisted upon too strcngly. It is most important that none of the washings or discharges should become dry before being subjected to the above process of disinfection. Under section 28 of “The Public Health Act, 1900,” it is the duty of the sanitary authority to see that this disinfection is done in a proper manner, unless the doctor in attendance certifies that it has been done. Persons engaged in nursing the sick should not be allowed to engage in the sale oi handing of any articles of food or drink.