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

THE HEALTH BULLETIN. 135A GIRL'S ENCOURAGEMENT.Some days ago the State Board ofHealth received a letter asking for aninvestigation and an opinion as to theinfluence of a swamp on the communit}-inwhich the writer of the letterlived. The letter indicated suchmature and intelligent interest inhealth matters that in our reply westated that we would try to make theinvestigation at an early date, and atthat time to meet and advise with thewriter and other authorities ofin regard to the proper treatment ofthe ponds. In reply to our letter thewriter of the initial letter among otherthings said: "I am only a girl. Dr.Rankin, and I don't know that I wouldbe of any help to your representative."This letter is one of the most encouragingthat we have received in sometime; it indicates the interest of theyounger generation, and what they aregoing to do when a few more yearsgive them some control in civic matters.It has been a long time sincethe State Board of Health received arequest that it will more gladly complywith than this one from "only agirl."TYPHOID VACCINE FREE.The State Laboratory of Hygiene announcesthat it is now ready to distribute,on request, typhoid vaccinefree to the citizens of North Carolina.The Laboratory trusts that only thosecitizens who expect to use it will requestthe vaccine, but the Laboratoryis very anxious that as many of ourcitizens be persuaded to take advantageof the State free vaccine as it is possiblefor our influence to reach.Now do not get the idea, because weare giving the vaccine away, becauseit will cost you nothing, my fellowcitizen, that it is without value. Vaccinationagainst typhoid fever haspassed all the tests of science and practiceand has won as permanent a placeamong sanitarians as vaccinationagainst smallpox.In a very thorough review of the resultsof anti-typhoid vaccination in theJournal of the American Medical Association,under date of August 30,1913, Major Frederick F. Russell, ofthe medical corps of the United StatesArmy, presents such convincing factsand figures as to leave this questionof vaccination against typhoid fever nolonger a matter of opinion. In thelast four years over 200,000 people havebeen vaccinated against typhoid fever;no bad effects from the vaccinationhave occurred. Among the 85,000 vaccinatedmen in the United States Army,located at different posts in the UnitedStates and her colonies, there has notbeen a single case of typhoid feversince December 6th, of last year.There have been fewer cases of typhoidfever among the vaccinated soldiersthan cases of smallpox among the soldiersvaccinated against smallpox. Theopinion among sanitarians at presentis that typhoid vaccination is as effectiveas smallpox vaccination.The vaccine is in liquid form and isadministered hypodermically, being injectedeither into the outer side of thearm or into the tissues of the breast.The discomfort—because we can notcall it pain—of the injection is practicallythe same as the injection ofvarious forms of medicine. Any doc-