VOL. LXII
INDIANAPOLIS, JULY 13, 1907.
NO. 28
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HOW     TO   AVOID    INFECTIOUS
DISEASES.
Drink  Pure Water.
lat Premium.—Impure drinking wnter
is must often the unsuspected source of
t.vplioid fever, as well as of other infectious diseases. Trouble can be averted
by boiling and aerating the water, if we
are obliged to use water that we are not
sure is pure. This is unnecessary in localities where there are good driven wells,
but in some localities it is necessary to
have dug wells, on account of quicksand,
as a driven well does not work right if
the water is in a bed of quicksand. It is
next to one of the impossibilities to keep
a dug well in a sanitary condition. There
will always be something getting iu, or
possibly some surface water will seep in
despite our efforts tei avoid it. Then too
there are other sources from which
tjphoid fever, malaria and other diseases
may spring up. For instance, a filthy
hog pen a little too close to the house, or
perhaps a hog wallow where the horses
and cattle are obliged to ilrink. If a
miliii cow drinks tins water, it is very uu-
healthful for us as well as for the animal.
It is far better to drain those places or
fill them up. A stagnant pool with a
green scum .upon it is a fine place to hatch
typhoid fever and malaria.
We should not get negligent and careless about our cellars and allow our decayed vegetables to remain in them. These
should be removed at once, and the cellar
kept nice audi clean. All garbage should
be gathered and hauled away or burned.
Have plenty of good fresh air from cellar to garret, both winter and summer. Do
not keep any part of the house closed up
so as to become foul, but let the air and
sunshine in. Never mind about the carpets or wall paper. Let them fade a little.
If we have good health that will compensate for all of that.
Once more I will say see that the drinking water is not surface water: see that it
is pure; see that everything is kept in a
sanitary   condition. Obey   the   laws   uf
nature us far as possible. Do not worry.
Give your stomach a little time to digest a
meal before hurrying away to do something which requires a great deal of
strength and diverts the blood from the digestive organs. If these rules nre obeyed there is not much danger, as a rule, of
tjphoid fever anil malaria.
B.
Live a Clean Life.
2d Premium.—The preventive and cure
of disease is a problem which perhaps has
more to do with the happiness aud welfare
of mankind than any other. It may be
thought by some that the supply of food
and clothing is equally important, but the
ways and means by which 'these can be
supplied are already generally understlood,
while the cure of disease is still largely experimental and must remain so while
there nre so many diseases that are considered incurable. Prevention of disease
is much better than cure, but to accomplish this the cause must first be understood. In seeking this, a wide field of
investigation has been opened up and that
there is still much to be learned is evidenced by the fact that those who haTe
made most extensive investigation are
widest    apart in their   conclusions.      By
some the cause is considered wholly material, while others are equally confident
that health is dependent mi righteous living and must be sought through spiritual
means. As far back as history can be
traced we fiud a combination of these
theories. The Jews connected certain
diseases with impurity ami unrighteousness, and in the Mosaic laws we tind
many rites and regulations whose aim it
was to promote health among the people.
There arc certain diseases today which
n.av be traced directly to wrong lining,
while the cause of others is not so apparent.        Bnt  we believe that people gener-
se-ie,iisiicss ainl trust the Father to cnre for
.Mm as He iliith for the lilies.
Reader,
Be   Temporate.
3d Premium.—Oood authorites state
that typhoid lever occurs in all parts of
the world and affects all classes of people, usually those between the agee eef US
and 30, although occasionally affecting
aged people and children. The season of
its greatest prevalence is frum spring to
late autumn, probably due to the unhygienic condition  of  things  at  this  season.
Horticultural  Building,  Indiana  State  Fair Orounds.
ally are agreed that the chief requirement of health is purity of thought and
deed, unrighteousness, and temperance in
all things.
In pioneer times typhoid fever and malaria were much more prevalent in the
country than they are to-day, but it is
doubtful if conditions in the cities show-
any Improvement When this country
was tirst settled there were seasons when
tbere were hardly enough well people to
care for the sick, and it seemed that
nearly every newcomer had to endure an
attack of malaria before he could claim to
1)0 thoroughly acclimated. ('unilituns.
however, seem to have changed. Mine
attention is given to sanitation than formerly, as it is generally conceded that the
cause of typhoid is impurity, the antidote
for which is cleanliness. We cannot all
live in palaces, but it is quite possible for
us to keep our surroundings clean and the
house ventilated. Pools of stagnant
water should not be permitted near the
house. Chicken    coops      and    pigsties
should be kept at the proper distance.
Sueh unwholesome conditons are not ideal,
and, laying aside all the thought of healtli.
should not be permitted.
Good, wholesome food should be partaken of. and. when it is such, "eat what
is set before yon. asking no questions for
Conscience sake." Drink all the pure
water you want, if you can get it, and
breaths the fresh nir, without any thought
of germs or microbes. Be industrious,
abstain from intoxicants, practice moderation in all things, be upright and honest
in your dealings, live a pure life. Then,
having made yourself worthy of health,
banish all fear of disease from your con-
Typhoid fever is said to lie "a typical filth
disease," in the sense that the bacillus is
transmitted to the body from human exilement, garbage, cesspools, foul cellars,
obstructed sewers, wells that have not
been cleaned for years, nnd such things.
These things furnish good snil for the
growth and multiplication of this bacillus
"I- germ,
A great deal is being 'sand these elnys
about increasing one's bodily resistance to
disease. Tliis simply means keeping the
body  in   good  healtli. These   few   rules
should be observed as precautions:
1. Keep the body in good health by
cleanliness of person, temperate habits and
plainness of living.
2. Keep the water and milk supply
pure. Boil the drinking water, clean out
the wells, keep the milk clean and cool.
3. Bury or burn all decaying animal
and vegetable matter.
4. Frequently clean cellars, barns,
closets, cesspools, etc.
6. Use the whitewash brush and air-
slaked lime unsparingly.
7. Drink water from driven wells if
possible. Mrs. R.
[The typhoid germ finds entrance to the
body by way of the stomach. Most frequently it is carried by impure drinking
water, but it mny exist in anything that
is drunk or eaten in an uncooked state,
such as milk, lettuce, oysters, ete. A well
may be contaminated by seepage from
cesspools at a surprising distance, particularly if the natural drainage towards
streams is in the .same general direction.
The malaria germ enters the system by inoculation: that is, it is introduced directly
into the blond through a puncture of the
skin, or the doctors tell us that this little
surgical operation is performed almost if
not quite exclusively by a certain species
ef mosquito. To keep down the mosquito
crop, put a little coal oil in the ruin barrel
rn- other rcceptable iii which water stands;
it won't hurt the wnter. Quinine, taken
under the directions of n physician, will
cure malaria. There is no cure but nature for typhoid fever.—Editor.]
No. 588, .Inly 20.—What is "baby beef,"
how is it produced, and why is it profitable':
No. 594, July 27.—Give your experience
in raising some "specialty" in connection
with general farming.
Nn. H06, Aug. 3.—Does it pay the individual fanner to experiment in a limited
way':      Give illustrations.
Premiums, of $1, 75 cents and 50 cents
are given for the best, second and third
best articles for the Experiment Department eacb week. Manuscript should be
sent direct to the Indiana Farmer Company and should be sent one week before
date of publication.
The Crops in Ohio.
As indicated in the recent report issued
by the Ohio Department of Agriculture
the wheat prospect over the state is very
irregular, ami while in many counties the
harvest will be almost an average one, in
some sections of the state, particularly the
northwest counties, the crop will be far
below a fair average. Wheat wintered
well, its condition on April 1st being estimated at 87 per cent, but during that
month it was severely damaged by cold,
freezing rains, and the May report showed
a decline of 13 per cent in its condition.
During the month of May it improved
slightly, while now at harvest time the
prospect is estimated at 79 per cent, compared with an average for the state as a
whole. An unusually large percentage of
the original area seeded to wheat was
plowed up this spring, tjie report showing ii.7 per cent, or 166,18- acres. As
the original area seeded last fall was 2.-
03C,12!» aires, this leaves 1,869,947 acres
for the harvest. 'Many correspondents
report damage hy rust, while others note
the ravages of insect pestf*; these repents, however, are not general over the
state, or even in immediate localities. The
season has been very backward hence the
harvest  will  be  late.
Oats show a decline of 5 per cent in
prospect during the past month and the
outlook is unpromising. The crop was
seeded late, made a poor start and the report of damage by rust and insect pests
is very general. The present prospect
is estimated at 76 per cent! compared
with  an average.
The area planted to corn for this year's
harvest shows 133,919 acres less than the
area reported by the township nssessors
last year, due principally to the fact that
it was impossible to plant much ground
intended for corn, owing to wet weather.
The crop is not advanced as far as usual
at this season, and there is lack of uniformity in growth, due bn irregularity in
time of planting. The fields are weedy,
as proper cultivation has been impossible.
Its present condition is estimated at 72
per eent compared with an average.
The estimated area planted to potatoes
is reported at 110,670 acres, being 95 per
cent compared with the acreage of last
year. The prospect for a good crop is
encouraging, Iieing estimated at 85 per
cent. .  .