CONTAGIOUS DISEASES 383 



bles is to wash them thoroughly before eating, and in the 

 case of oysters to cook them. 



Vaccination for typhoid fever. Modern science has found a 

 means of preventing typhoid fever through vaccination. 

 In times of war, typhoid has always been the scour- 

 armies. In the Spanish- American War, more soldiers died 

 from this disease than were killed in battle. This idea of 

 vaccination originated with Professor Wright in England, 

 and was first tried on a large scale in the British army. As a 

 result of these tests, it was found on comparing the inocu- 

 lated regiments (about 9000 soldiers) with the uninoculated 

 (about 7000 soldiers) that there were about ten times as 

 many cases of typhoid among the latter regiments as among 

 the former. In the inoculated regiments there were no 

 deaths, while among the non-inoculated there were fourteen 

 deaths. 



During the Japanese-Russian War, in the Japanese army, 

 where vaccination was practiced, there were practically no 

 cases of typhoid fever; while in the Russian army, where 

 this treatment was not employed, the efficiency of the army 

 was greatly reduced through the large number of cases of 

 typhoid. 



Similar results have been obtained in the United States 

 armies. Vaccination has now been made compulsory 

 throughout the army. Before this treatment was given, 

 there were 1037 cases of typhoid fever and 76 deaths during 

 three years in the army and navy. During three years after 

 vaccination was made compulsory there were only 50 cases 

 and 5 deaths. The number of cases was reduced to one 

 twentieth and the number of deaths to one fifteenth of what 

 they had been formerly. 



In a bulletin issued by the Department of Agriculture 

 it is advised that well. persons exposed to the dangers of 

 field service be vaccinated. But it is not recommended for 

 old people, very young persons, civilians who live at home, 



