CHAPTER IV 



DYSENTERY, CHOLERA INFANTUM, ETC. 



pvYSENTERY and the fatal form of "summer 

 ^^^ complaint," so common among the poorer 

 classes in cities, are due to a bacillus which resembles 

 in many respects the bacillus of typhoid fever, but 

 which nevertheless presents certain specific differ- 

 ences which can be recognised by the expert bacterio- 

 logist. As this bacillus is found in the excreta of 

 the sick and an attack of either disease depends 

 upon the introduction of the germ to the intestinal 

 tract, by way of the mouth, we must include dysen- 

 tery and cholera infantum among the filth diseases. 

 There is another form of tropical dysentery due to a 

 parasite of a different class (amoebic dysentery), but 

 this is also propagated in the same way and its pre- 

 vention calls for the same sanitary measures. These 

 are identical with the measures already recommended 

 in previous chapters for the prevention of cholera 

 and of typhoid fever. The victims of cholera in- 



140 



