Alma (Dow) Graves & the Horrors of Typhoid Fever
Chloe Alma (Dow) Graves, the only daughter of Simeon E. and Chloe Ann Dow, died on the 25th day of March 1902 after a long struggle with typhoid fever.
Denison Bulletin - March 28, 1902
DEATH CLAIMS ANOTHER VICTIM FROM AMONG US.
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Mrs. Alma Graves died about 3 o'clock Tuesday morning,
March 24.
Chloe Alma Dow, daughter of Simeon Elbridge and Chloe Ann Dow, was born August 24, 1848, at Lagrange, Cass county, Michigan, and removed with her parents to Harrison county, Iowa, in 1852 and again to Crawford county in 1855. Was baptized into the Baptist church at Denison by Elder George Scott at the age of fifteen and continued a consistent member of the same until her death. She was married to Mr. Abner Graves August 12,
1868, at the home of her parents In what is now Dow City. The life of Mrs. Alma Graves, though perhaps not always strewed with flowers, was always kind and consistent, always loving and obliging. She appeared to live for those by whom she was surrounded, never having a harsh or unkind word for any. To see Mrs. Graves was to respect
her and to know her was to love her. She was stricken with the disease that terminated her life on New Years day and grew gradually worse from the first. All the ministrations of kind friends and the best medical aid failed to stay the ravages of the disease. She suffered greatly and entered that .deep sleep from which there is no awakening as noted above. The funeral will occur from the M. E. church on Thursday, March 27th. Services by Rev. Mr. Bateson of Denison assisted by Rev. Mr. Houghtelin, pastor of the M E church at Dow City. The body will be laid to rest in the beautiful cemetery a mile west of town.
Typhoid is a horrid disease and makes for a slow and agonizing death for those who succumb to any variety of physical ailments typhoid is capable of producing. Some of the treatments for curing the disease are equally as dreadful. The following is a description of the disease and the nursing procedures for caring for a typhoid patient.
Whenever typhoid, among other infectious diseases, were found, strict quarantine rules were quickly put in place. (They can be found here: Quarantine Rules). It is interesting to note that while the Graves' residence was under quarantine during Alma's illness, according to the newspaper account of her death, a funeral was allowed. This would have been only with the permission of the attending physician and county board of health director.
Typhoid Fever.
This is an acute infectious disease formerly called “Enteric Fever” because the bowels are so much involved.
It is caused by the entrance into the body of a certain germ known to doctors as the bacillus typhosus. These germs gain entrance through the mouth, stomach and intestines. They are frequently taken into the system by drinking infected milk or milk that has been “watered” with impure water or cooled with infected ice. The freezing of the water in which the germs are found does not kill the germs. Water which comes from wells near cesspools or from shallow wells or wells that have not been cleaned for a long time or water which comes from rivers where the garbage of a city is very likely to be contaminated can cause typhoid fever if a person is in the right condition to take it. Partially decayed vegetables, meats, oysters or clams are also likely to be swarming with the germs. Flies lighting upon the discharges from a typhoid fever patient, if the discharges have not been disinfected, very frequently, carry the germs to pure food and thus spread the disease. Another source of typhoid fever is in decaying vegetables in cellars or cellars where the drains are stopped up and water is allowed to stand.
Symptoms. This disease affects males more than females and is most frequent in August, September and October. The germs may be found in every organ of the body. The small bowels and their glands are generally the organs most affected. The disease is generally from 1 to 3 weeks in coming on. It usually begins with a feeling or sense of general wretchedness and general illness with no particular symptoms being well marked unless it be the aching of the forehead and the back and limbs. The expression of the face shows sickness very early in the disease. The patient becomes listless and later heavy and stupid and often a little deaf. Frequently there is considerable coughing without spitting up anything. The tongue is coated in the center but clean and red at the edges. There is headache, thirst, sleeplessness, and a mild fever develops and nose bleed may occur repeatedly. There is quite a bit of gurgling in the lower right part of the abdomen. There is usually constipation during the first week but on the other hand there may be looseness of the bowels instead.
Fever. The temperature rises step by step; each morning it is higher than the morning before and each evening higher than the evening before. For examle, the first morning it may be 99 and in the evening 100; the second morning it may be 991/2 and in the evening 1012/5; the third morning it may be 1002/5 and in the evening 1021/2, etc. Usually by the end of the first week the fever reaches 102 or 103 in the mornings and 103 or 104 in the evenings and remains at this level until the 14th or 21st day. At this time the pulse is more rapid and varies from 90 to 100 and may go up to 110 or higher.
Rose Spots. These develop about the 7th to the 9th day and appear on the skin of the abdomen and chest.
Later Symptoms. The tongue becomes dry and cracked, the stupor or drowsiness is more marked, the bowels become looser and the bloating of the abdomen, or belly, is more noticeable. Usually, at the end of the second week the disease is at its height. If the patient has had little attention or if it is a severe case it will continue another week or longer. During the third week there is more diarrhea and bloating and a deeper drowsiness. There is shaking of the muscles and jerking of the tendons. The skin is dry and harsh and the patient is very thin. If the disease is not so severe these symptoms may decrease at any time between the 14th and 28th days. The fever and pulse then gradually go down and there are general symptoms of getting better. This is a typical case.
In some cases the diarrhea is very bad. In others there is greater bloating and soreness of the bowels. Sometimes the tongue and mouth look very bad. The blood poisoning is very severe in some cases as shown by the symptoms. Sometimes the tongue is very much swollen, coated and cracked and sticks to the mouth or turns down on the lips so that it is very difficult for the patient to put out his tongue and sometimes when it is out the patient is too stupid to draw it in again. The delirium is either mild or active according to the case. The patient is said to be delirious or “out of his head”. Bleeding from the bowels is a dangerous symptom. The bowels are very thin and ulcerated and may be easily torn or ruptured.
Treatment. Disinfect all discharges from the patient. The vessels which receive the discharges from the bowels and urine should contain a carbolic acid solution, 1 part of acid to 20 parts of water; or a solution of corrosive sublimate, 1 part corrosive sublimate to 2,000 parts of water. A heaping teaspoonful of chloride of lime may also be used to a pint of water. Disinfect everything that has been in contact with the patient. The hands of the nurse should frequently be disinfected. See that all drinking water is boiled. To prevent taking the disease, read upon the the causes and avoid them.
What Not to Do. Do not let the patient take cold or some of the serious after effects like bronchitis or pneumonia may be the result. Do not allow the patient to get up for any purpose or the bowels may be ruptured. Do not give solid foods until two or three weeks after the patient has recovered. Do not allow your sympathies or the pleadings of the patient to persuade you to depart from this rule or death may be the result.
Avoid too much strong medicine. Stimulants may be given if the pulse is very weak and the first heart sound is distant and feeble. Half an ounce of whiskey or brandy may be given in a little water or milk every 3 to 6 hours if needed.
Constipation. Relieve this with injections of soap and water. In obstinate cases add to this from 1 to 2 teaspoons of glycerine.
Diarrhea. If this is excessive, that is, if there is more than 3 or 4 stools a day, give from 5 to 10 drop doses of aromatic sulphuric acid in simple elixir or in boiled water.
Bloating. To the abdomen, or belly, apply cloths wrung out of water containing a little turpentine. If possible, apply these before much gas has accumulated and if the bloating continues give an injection of emulsion of asafoetida [dried gum from the tap root of the herb Ferula, a genus of flowering plants in the carrot family], either with or without a dram of turpentine added.
Bleeding from the Bowels. Apply hot water bottles to keep up the heat of the body and give a pint of normal salt solution under the skin. This may be given once, twice or three times during the next 24 hours if needed.
Bed Sores. Keep the parts clean and dry and bathe with alcohol.
Curds in Stools. When curds appear in the stools, lessen the quantity of milk; or, it should be peptonized [partial hydrolyzing of proteins] or its digestion aided by the use of pancreatin [mixture of several digestive enzymes] after it is taken.
Allopathic [mainstream pharmaceutical] Treatment. Unless the bowels have moved give ¼ grain doses of calomel [a white powder used as a laxative and a fungicide] every hour until 1 to 2 grains have been taken. If the bowels are not moved in 12 hours give a large injection of soap and water and a seidlitz [effervescing salts (like Alka Seltzer)] powder if needed. Twelve hours later give from 5 to 10 drops of diluted hydrocholic [hydrogen chloride] acid with a teaspoonful of essence of pepsin and repeat this every six hours, after giving food, throughout the disease.
Nursing. A typhoid fever case must be watched carefully from beginning to end. Bleeding from the bowels is an alarming symptom. It shows that the disease has eaten through the lining of the bowels to the small blood vessels. It is not necessarily fatal but it need close attention. A fall of several degrees in the fever should arouse suspicion that the bowels are much ulcerated and are bleeding. This fall in the fever is often the first symptom. Either during or after an attack of typhoid the patient may have hemorrhage or bleeding from the bowels; or, he may have heart, stomach or liver troubles or bronchitis or pneumonia and symptoms of these should be carefully watched for.
If the fever rises to 1021/2 degrees the patient is to be rubbed with either tepid, cool, cold, or ice water. Or even a piece of ice may be used. Give a brisk rub-off if the poisoning is very great, not so much to reduce the fever as to cause reaction and arouse the vitality of the patient. With this application of cold, in different degrees according to the needs of the case, rub the skin actively as the cold comes in contact with it because friction increases the loss of heat by one half and aids in causing reaction and a more equal circulation of the skin and also prevents the patient from being chilled. There are other was of bathing. Some put the patient in a bath tub.
A typhoid fever patient is going to be sick for several weeks and you need to keep up his strength by the use of food and bathing. Milk is generally the best food when given as directed. Keep visitors out of the sick room, do not talk much and never whisper when near the patient. It is better to talk in a low tone than to whisper when near the patient. It is always better to talk in a low tone than to whisper. Keep the teeth and mouth clean. You may need to clean them several times a day. Wrap a soft cloth around your finger, dip into water and gently clean the teeth and mouth. The patient's mouth and tongue are always dry and especially when the mouth is kept open and should then be frequently cleaned with a wet cloth or a little water should often be given him. You can bathe him under the bedding and with cool water if he can stand it. Wring out the cloth or sponge so it will not drip water and bathe parts of his body at a time and then dry. Keep the patient quiet and never let him get up to use the bed pan. If there is bleeding, send for the doctor at once.
