CHAPTER XVII 



COMMUNICABLE DISEASES WITH SUGGESTIONS ON PRE- 

 VENTIVE MEDICINE 



The pharmacist should be prepared to assist the physician and the 

 health authorities in the enforcement of the sanitary rules and regulations. 

 To this end he should be informed as regards the source of the more im- 

 portant contagious and infectious diseases and the causes of epidemics and 

 the means available to prevent or to combat such conditions. This does 

 not mean that the pharmacist must have a full knowledge of the pathology 



FIG. 87. Bacillus botulinus. This bacillus causes botulism, a form of meat poison- 

 ing. There are numerous cases of poisoning resulting from eating infected meats. 

 It should be kept in mind, however, that meat may not be decomposed and may be 

 without bacilli and yet ptomaines may be present. Therefore absence of bacilli and 

 of bad odor does not prove that the meat is wholesome. Meat from animals recently 

 killed, which has been well cared for and which is without bad odor and shows no bacilli, 

 is in all probability wholesome. Ham, canned meats, cold storage meats, etc., may have 

 taken up toxins from contaminated meats, thus being made unfit for consumption even 

 though no bacteria are found. 



and therapeutics of disease. He should have at least a general knowledge 

 of the causes of disease in order that he may assist in applying the means 

 for preventing disease. It is not within the province of the pharmacist to 

 cure disease, but he should be a potent factor in preventive medicine. 



In many instances, protection against one kind of infection also pro- 

 tects against other infections. About 1893, two health officers (H. F. 

 Mills of the Massachusetts State Board of Health and Dr. J. J. Reinke 



24 369 



