TYPHOID FEVER.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 369, 31 March 1876, Page 3

TYPHOID FEVER.

Seeing that typhoid fever has broken out in the various surrounding townships, and knowing that it is a disease chiefly arising from preventable causes, one would have supposed that the inhabitants should have been most anxious to have these "preventable causes" removed. The three chief causes are—l. Drinking of impure water; of milk ; or of beverages made with impure water. The water supplied by the Naseby Water Works Company is of average quality for drinking purposes; the purest would be filtered rain water, stored in iron tanks ; but the use of wells or surface water obtained in the neighborhood of this township, unless previously boiled, is most improper. The second cause is the improper disposal of excrement, slops, and sewerage. In this respect Naseby is in a most primative condition; for, in the first place, a great nuuJber of waterclosets are too near the dwellings; some are quite suited to the times when mankind was not far removed from the apes ; some have not been cleaned out for years—several not, perhaps, since the commencement of the township. From this arises a complete saturation of the soil with human excrement, which, in time, is bound to produce its effects. There are in the present day two methods of removing excrementitious matter ; one, and that chiefly used in large towns when drainage is in perfect order, the water flushing system ; the other, the earth closet method, most applicable to country townships, where every othei day or so a quantity of dry earth is mixed with the night soil, which periodically is removed to a suitable place. It is even questionable, whether it is not the duty of corporations to enforce such a system. In regard to slops and sewerage, open drains, which are most prevalent hereabouts, unless constantly flushed and with a proper outlet, give rise to a most offensive stench, and are of themselves quite sufficient to produce any amount of disease. The third cause may be generally included under the head of nuisances, such as the keeping of animals, more especially pigs ; the allowing of rags, old clothing, leather, and such like, to rot and moulder ; blood, and butcher's refuse, to bo thrown promiscuously in too close a proximity to human dwellings. Typhoid fever generally commences with diarrhoea, indefinite pains about the back and shoulders, indisposition to work, with perhaps delirium, and bleeding from the nose. Hushing to disinfectants when an epidemic has spread is as varnishing rotten wood, and calling it new. Still as preventatives, they must not be despised, and should be constantly used. The two best to select from such a number are perhaps chloride of lime, and carbolic powder—the former mixed with water, to flush the closets and drains, the latter — dry, to sprinkle about houses and yard. Then if official inspection and the knowledge of personal danger do not arouse individual exertion, await events, and take the consequences. T. B. Whitton, M.D.