This article presents research materials devoted to doctors of different countries and medical specialties who studied such a serious disease as typhoid fever. Their biographies and contributions to the study of typhoid fever, and the fight against it, are presented through a variety of means of collecting - both in philately and in the art of medal painting. The text is provided with rich illustrative material, explanatory descriptions and comments.

At the beginning of this article, I would like to give brief information about typhoid fever, the history of its discovery and diagnosis. The causative agent of the disease is Salmonella enterica, from the Enterobacteriaceae family of the Salmonella genus. The first mention of the pathogen is in a report made in Zurich in 1880 by Karl Ebert. At the same time as K. Ebert, Koch, Klebs and Meyer were studying the bacterium. In 1884, the pathogen was obtained in its pure form by Koch's student, Gaffka, and was named the Ebert-Gaffka typhoid bacillus. [1].

Aim of study

The purpose of this article is the presentation of collectible philatelic and numismatic (commemorative medals) materials thematically dedicated to typhoid fever, the fight against it, and its heroes.

When writing this research, opinion article, its author used the method of literary critical analysis, using available, both domestic and foreign sources of thematic information, research and professionally oriented articles, using Internet sites of philatelic collectors and numismatists, as well as research articles by epidemiologists and infectious disease specialists dealing with the problems of typhoid fever. The illustrations used in the article, taken from various Internet sites, were converted into screenshots, indicating the sources of their borrowing, in order to strictly respect the copyrights of their owners.

I would like to start my story about the fight against typhoid fever, in the reflection of collectibles, with the presentation of a very rare non-postage stamp, which was issued in the USSR for the propaganda purpose of preventing intestinal infections such as dysentery and typhoid fever. These diseases have been quite common throughout the world at all times, incl. and at the beginning of the twentieth century, in the period before the discovery and use of antibiotics, and claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. This promotional stamp is shown in Fig. 1 [1].

Figure 1: Propaganda stamps of the USSR against typhoid fever

Continuing my story about the fight against typhoid fever, it is impossible not to mention the name of the famous scientist who made a significant contribution to the diagnosis of typhoid fever. We are talking about Fernand Vidal. Here is his brief biographical information: Vidal Georges Fernand-Isidore, (1862-1929), French doctor, bacteriologist. Member of the French Academy of Sciences (1919). Student of the therapist J. Dieulafoy (clinical medicine), E. Roux and I.I. Mechnikov (bacteriology). In 1896, he developed a diagnostic agglutination test for typhoid fever (Vidal test), marking the beginning of the era of serodiagnosis of infectious diseases. The anti-typhoid vaccine proposed by F. Vidal was used in all Allied armies during the First World War [2-7]. In memory of this French scientist, the French postal department issued several postal envelopes and a postage stamp, which are shown in Fig. 2 [2-7].

Figure 2: Philatelic materials from France dedicated to F. Vidal

Also, I would like to present, in Fig. 3, French cardmaximums, presented in the form of portraits of a scientist, equipped with a postage stamp and a special postmark [2-7].

Figure 3:  Cardmaximums dedicated to Fernan Vidal

Also, in honor of the French bacteriologist, a commemorative medal was issued, which is presented (obverse and reverse) in Fig. 4 [4, 5].

Figure 4: Commemorative medal dedicated to Fernand Vidal

Speaking about the fight against typhoid fever, one cannot fail to mention the name of such a researcher as Ebert (Eberth) Karl Joseph (1835-1926), a German bacteriologist. He wrote works on the etiology and pathogenesis of a number of infectious diseases. The scientist developed methods for differential staining of various types of microbes, and in 1889 he discovered the causative agent of typhoid fever (Ebert's bacillus) [8]. In his honor, the postal department of the Republic of Mali issued a postage stamp and block, shown in Fig. 5 [6, 7, 9].

Figure 5:  Postage stamp of the Republic of Mali, dedicated to K. Ebert

A special place in the history of the fight against typhoid fever is occupied by the name of Jean Hyacinthe Henri Vincent (1862-1950), a French military doctor and bacteriologist, professor of medicine [6, 7, 10]. He became famous for his work with vaccines, incl. he created an effective vaccine against typhoid fever. His successful vaccinations against typhoid and paratyphoid types A and B, begun in 1910, were continued during the First World War. The vaccine proposed by G. Vincent saved countless lives in the French army [6, 7,10]. In Fig. 6 shows French cardmaximums, artistic postal envelopes with a special cancellation stamp and a postage stamp issued in 1962 in his honor [6, 7, 10].

Figure 6: French philatelic materials issued in honor of Hyacinthe Vincent

I would like to note that other scientists from different countries were also involved in the creation of an effective vaccine against typhoid fever, incl. and domestic researchers, in particular I.I. Mechnikov. Philatelic materials from different countries (postage stamps, first day envelopes, with special cancellation stamps, postal blocks) dedicated to I.I. Mechnikov, are presented in Fig. 7 [11-15].

Figure 7: Philatelic materials from different countries dedicated to I.I. Mechnikov

Naturally, within the framework of one article, it is difficult to reflect information about all those heroes of medicine who dealt with the fight against typhoid fever, especially since the memory of them, unfortunately, is not reflected in collecting means. Nevertheless, the material presented in this article quite informatively reflects the memory of scientists from various medical fields who dealt with the problem of typhoid fever.

1. The memory of the scientific and research activities of famous scientists who fought against typhoid fever is quite fully, colorfully and informatively presented in a variety of collecting media.

2. This article will help teachers, students and everyone who is not indifferent to the history of medicine to obtain new, interesting information about this medical problem.