—Synonyms.—Typhus recurrens; Bilious fever; Famine fever; Hunger pest; Spirillum fever.
Definition.—An acute, infectious and non-contagious disease, characterized by a series of exacerbations and remissions, each lasting from five to seven days, and prevailing epidemically.
Cause.—The spirillum of Obermeier.
Pathology.—There is no characteristic change in the solids of the body. There is sometimes icteric discoloration during the disease and the tissues are stained after death. The liver, kidneys and spleen are somewhat enlarged. The heart becomes soft. The body retains its heat a long time after death and the blood coagulates slowly if at all.
Treatment.—Arterial injection with half strength fluid, followed, in the second and third parts, with normal fluid. Drainage of blood. Spray fluid over abdominal viscera, through the usual puncture.
For transportation of bodies dead of this disease, govern yourself according to the provisions of the transportation rules.
Syphilis.
—Synonyms.—Pox; mal-venereal; lues venereal.
Definition.—A specific infectious, non-contagious disease, weeks or months are occupied in its development; contracted by inoculation which is known as acquired syphilis, or hereditary, which is congenital syphilis, and is characterized by three distinct stages; primary, secondary, tertiary.
History.—”In all probability syphilis is as old as the human race; for we can readily believe that illicit intercourse was practiced in the cities of the ancient world when the morals of the people were more lax than those of today. Our knowledge of the disease, however, dates from the fifteenth century. Breaking out among the troops of Charles VIII, King of France, it rapidly spread over Europe. From then to the present day our knowledge of the disease has grown, till today we are able to classify and separate the various lesions resulting from illicit and promiscuous intercourse. All forms of venereal disease were included under the name of syphilis till Ricord, in 1831, demonstrated that gonorrhea and syphilis were two distinct diseases.”