TYPHOID FEVER 83 



covers from typhoid fever the bacilH usually disap- 

 pear from the feces, but in about 5 per cent, of the cases 

 the patients continue to harbor bacilli in their typhoid 

 feces although they themselves are perfectly well. Such 

 persons are spoken of as "bacillus carriers," and constitute 

 a very difficult feature of the typhoid problem. The 

 author has traced a number of epidemics of typhoid fever 

 to dairymen who were such bacillus carriers. 



From what has been said it follows that great care 

 must be taken to properly disinfect the discharges, 

 both urine and feces, of all persons having typhoid 

 fever. Moreover, this should include all those cases of 

 fever in which the presence of a typhoid infection is pos- 

 sible, even though the diagnosis is not yet positively 

 established. Many a case of obscure fever, running a 

 mild course, and therefore dismissed as of no conse- 

 quence, has subsequently been found to have been 

 typhoid fever, and resulted in the infection of others 

 because no typhoid precautions were taken. Chlorid 

 of lime is one of the most efficient disinfectants for the 

 stools, but, like all disinfectants, it should be used 

 freely, and in such a way that the disinfectant will 

 really remain in contact with the feces for a sufficient 

 time. If the masses of feces are hard, a constipated 

 stool, it is important to break them up with a stick and 

 mix them thoroughly with the disinfectant. Ordinarily 

 it is wtII to keep the disinfectant in contact with the 

 stool in the vessel for about an hour before emptying 

 the vessel. In the city the stool can then be poured 

 into the closet; in the country, where there is merely a 

 shallow eaith closet, it is advisable to bury the stools. 

 The underclothing, night clothes, handkerchiefs, towels, 



