The Health bulletin [serial] - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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The Health Bulletin June, 1927
There have been numbers of typhoid
epidemics in cities and towns throughout
the country in the past due to ix)lluted
water supplies in which there was
a failure in the chlorinating plant, or
they did not practice chlorination of the
water outright. In these days of travel
to and fro from one part of the country
to another over night, with numerous
roadside wells and pumps, it is an
easier matter than ever to contract typhoid
fever or colitis through drinking
IwUuted water. For the person who
would exercise even primary caution,
especially in the hot summer months,
when travelling away from home and
partaking of water by the roadside, in
tourists camps, or what-nots, a very
simple precaution would be to put one
drop of tincture of iodine in each glass,
that is, half-pint size tumbler, of
drinking water and let it stand for
twenty minutes before drinking. Such
a drink of water would be safe, and
by doing this it would tide over a
thirsty period until a place is reached
where the water supply is known to be
good. Such a precaution would be
especially desirable in giving water to
babies if it is found impossible to boil
the water that they drink ; but it is
easy enough to boil all water that is
not known to be pure, which is given
to babies or taken by adults. The foregoing
precaution should not be necessary
as boiled water is simple and safe
and possible anywhere. This could
easily be arranged at night and a thermos
bottle full could last until another
place having a good water supply could
be reached. Such simple care and protection
would be the means of greatly
lowering the incidence of colitis, especially
among babies of the State, as
well as to possibly bring down a little
lower the typhoid rate.
The same sanitary precautions mentioned
for water, only more so, should
be carried through, concerning all milk
supplies, especially for babies.
Pasteurized
milk is the safest, of course, but
that entails a first class public supply,
which is only available in some of the
large cities and towns of the State.
Through the summer months where it is
not possible to have a thoroughly reliable
pasteurized milk product for babies
the simple precaution of boiling the milk
for at least three minutes before giving
it to any baby should be done. The
destruction of the vitamins in milk as
the result of boiling it through the summer
months can be easily counteracted
by the administration of plenty of
orange juice or tomato juice, following
the physician's suggestion in each
individual case as to time and quantity
that such items should be given to the
baby.
In conclusion, back to the water question
for this brief statement, no one
should be careless enough to drink raw
water out of the ordinary springs,
rivers, creeks, and branches, especially
during the summer months. People living
on farms should, of course, provide
themselves with some type of
pump, either driven or bored through
the ground and operated by a handle,
in order to secure a moderately safe and
uncontaminated water supply. In this
connection it is well to remember that
great care should be exercised in the
location about the premises in which
such pump well should be placed. Also
it should hardly be necessary to add
that the surface of the ground around
such pump well should be carefully
cemented and proper and thorough
drainage away from the well should be
provided.
ETIQUETTE
The wise raccoon, with forest lore imbued.
Before he dines must always wash his
food
Your household cat esteems it more refined
To clean one's whiskers after one has
dined.
We shake each other's hands, and yet
'tis known
That gentlemen in China shake their
own
While Frenchmen kiss upon the public
street.
New Zealander's rub noses when they
meet.
By Arthur Guiterman.