Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1860-11-01
From the Providence r.. ~ Post.
Diptheria: What is Its-A Sim
ME Cure.

Within the past two years, the public at
tention has frequently been called to this
disease, by paragraphs telling Of its rava-
ges in different places, or of remarkable
mortality from it in individual families.
1t has prevailed extensively in California.
In the autumn of 1858, it destroyed near
" two hundred children in Albany, N. Y;
in March, 1858, it produced great conster-
nation in Orange, Connecticut; it is quite
prevalent at Western New York; deaths
are reported from it every week in Pnila-
delphia, New York and Boston, and some
cases have occurred during the last year in
all parts of New England; but it has been
epidemic so as to attract the public atten-
ton in only a few places.
In this city there were few cases in
August, 1858, and five persons died with
the disease during the remainder of that
year.
In 1859, seventeen persons died of dip
liberia, and during the present year it has
been present in the city nearly all,the time,
not, however, assuming an epidemic char
acter.
1t has passed over all portions of France
within the last thirtyfve years, and through.
out England during the past six or eight
years, causing large mortality among chill
dren. What is lit!
We find the following description in one
of the City Registrars reports:
"Diptheria is disease of childhood, the
greater portion of its victims, like those Of
scarlatina, being between two and twelve
years of age. 1t commences with symp'
toms of cold and with considerable fever
simultaneously with these symptoms, and
sometimes preceding them, there is de-
posit in spots of whitish or grayish
white membrane upon the tonsls and bach
part of the mouth. This membrane in
creases with great rapidity; the fever be-
comes of a typhoid character; there is grea'
constitutional depression; the breath be-
comes fetid, and some cases the glands
about the neck become enlarged. Wher
death takes place, it is caused in some
cases by the extension of the false mem
brane to the air passage, producing the eff
fects of Group; in other cases it is caused
bv exhaustion and fever from the poison Of
the disease. In some epidemics MAORI
ty of the fatal cases will die apparently
from the Group; in other epidemics, th'
larger portion will die from the constitution
al symptoms. In the same edidemic in the
city of Albany, in 1858, few cases have
occurred in the spring and summer, but thu
greatest severity of the disease was in DC
tober and November.
1t is entirely distinct disease from
scarlatina or Group, though it has some re-
lation to those diseases which at time:
cause doubt to the mind ofsuperficial oh
servers.
The diagnostic by which it is known
from other diseases of the throat, is th'
formation of membrane which increases
gradually until the patient is literally stran
gled to death. 1t it sometimes accompa
MED by liberation, and extreme prostra
ton of the entire system, and at Others by
neither of these symptoms yet it is equal
ly fatal. To arrest the formation of thi
membrane would, therefore, seem equiva
lent to curing the disease, and this in mos
instances may be done in the following
manner. ....
In the early stages of the complaint
which is always accompanied by a sore
ness and swelling of the thoat, let the pa
tient use a simple solution of salt and wa
ter, every fifteen minutes. At the same
time moisten piece of flannel with a solu
ton of the same kind, made as warm as thu
patient can bear it, and bind it around the
throat, renewing in the meanwhile sprink
ling fine salt between the flannel and tht
neck. Use inwardly some tonic or stimu
liant, either separately, or, if the prostra
ton be great, use both together. The
treatment, as may be seen, is extremely
simple, and, if used in the earlier steges Of
the disease Will effect a complete cure.