TYPHOID 151 



Conveyance by Dust. — It is improbable that the soil in 

 this country is a great factor in the conveyance of typhoid, 

 but the soil in India seems to give peculiar facilities for 

 the spread of the disease, and to play a somewhat different 

 rSle to what it does in England. The soil for the great 

 part of the year is very dry, and becomes converted into 

 dust. All excreta, whether from sick or healthy persons, 

 are buried in the ground according to the shallow system, 

 and the soil is thus converted into a nursery for the growth 

 of the bacilli. Since dust-storms are of very common 

 occurrence, especially in hot and dry weather, it is not 

 very difficult to understand how columns of fine dust 

 whirl across the country, loaded with faecal debris, and in 

 time of epidemics with pathogenic organisms. Thus dust- 

 storms become a fertile means of spreading the disease, 

 since the typhoid bacillus has considerable vitality; wells 

 and water-supplies at distant stations become contaminated, 

 and the disease is thus spread far and wide. One means 

 of preventing some of the epidemics of typhoid fever now 

 so prevalent in India would be to insist that all excreta from 

 typhoid cases should be disinfected or burnt. 



In connection with the above information, which was 

 supplied to us by Surgeon - Lieutenant Bird wood, of the 

 Indian Medical Service, it is interesting to compare a 

 report by Dr. H. Henrot, of Eheims {Lancet, February 1, 

 1896), respecting an outbreak of typhoid which occurred 

 amongst two regiments of cavalry quartered in the above 

 town during some manoeuvres. The men rode over some 

 land which had been recently manured with night-soil, 

 and the weather being very dry, much dust was produced, 

 which was of necessity both inspired and swallowed by the 

 troopers. Attention was also directed to the bad smell 

 which was prevalent at the time. Inquiry was directed as 

 to whether the outbreak could be attributed to the water- 



