Typhoid Season's Here, May 3, 1921

Typhoid Season New Here; County Health Authority‘s Warning

By William E. Warren, M.D.

This is the season for typhoid fever. There are two ways to prevent it, one is mechanical and the other is physiological. The first aims to prevent the entrance of typhoid germs into the body of a person through water, food or by means of the hands. The second aims to make the body immune by means of typhoid vaccine. People should avail themselves of both methods. Between now and next March about 250,000 people in the United States may expect to be ill with typhoid fever. About 20,000 will lay down their lives as a sacrifice on the altar of ignorance and apathy.

North Carolina may expect to have 300 of these deaths. There were five deaths in Martin County from typhoid fever last year, while according to our population there should not have been more than three. Five persons, valued at $5,000 each, means a $25,000 loss to the cunty, 30 times more money than all the appropriations for public health in the county. It is not practical to suppose that 21,000 people in Martin county will take advantage of the opportunity to immunize themselves to typhoid fever this year, a great many will do so. The health department urges it but at the same time the Department calls attention to the importance of safeguarding by mechanical method.

See that the drinking water is pure, use a pump but never an open well. Filtered water is of course the safest. See that the milk is pure, that all raw vegetables are washed well in pure water. Avoid carrying infection by keeping the hands clean, never eat food unless the hands are washed thoroughly. Finally, be sure that the human wastes are disposed of so no fly can get to them.

The diseases reported to me this month show that there is now in Williamston one case of typhoid fever and two in Bear Grass township.

The following number of cases of other diseases were reported in the month of April:

Whooping cough, 13; Measles, 9; Scarlet Fever, 1; Chicken Pox, 3; Ophthaluria(?) Neonatorum, 1.

From The Enterprise, Williamston, Martin County, N.C., May 3, 1921. Ophthalmia Neonatorum is a serious infection of the eye, prevalent among newborns, and potentially sight threatening.