CHAPTER XLVIII 



THE MICROBE OF TYPHUS FEVER 



THIS microbe is a bad one. It is represented in 

 Fig. 87. It is the cause of a bad fever. Typhus is 

 among the worst. Its onset is marked by quickened 

 pulse, high fever, much thirst, nausea, vomiting. 



This fever comes, sometimes in a mild, sometimes 

 in a severe form, and lasts from fourteen days to 

 six weeks. The two forms are, no doubt, caused by 

 two varieties of the same species of germs. In the 

 milder form the patient may have some red erup- 

 tions on the face around the mouth, and, on the 

 fourth or fifth day, a refreshing sweat, which seems 

 to diminish and clear up the fever. In the severe 

 form the patient has dark spots on parts of the 

 body, distended abdomen, and diarrhea with bloody 

 discharges. From the milder form the patient usu- 

 ally recovers; tie severe form most always proves 

 fatal. 



This fever is exceedingly contagious and infec- 

 tious. The germ is communicated from the patient 

 in all the usual ways, by contact, clothing, furni- 

 ture, pet cats and dogs, flies, water, food, and 

 breathing infected air. When the most rigid pre- 

 cautions are not taken, therefore, a single case may 

 result in an epidemic. 



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