Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1860-10-31
Diptheria: What is It?

Within the past two years, the public at
tention has been frequently called to this dis
ease, by paragraphs telling of its ravages in
different places, or of remarkable mortali V
from it in individual families. 1t has pre-
vailed extensively in California. In the az
tumn of 1858, it destroyed nearly two hum
dred children in Albany, n Y; in March,
1859, it produced great CONSERVATION in Or
ange Connecticut; it is quite prevalent at the |
present time in Western New York, deaths |
are reported from it every. week II. Philadel- |
phia, New York and Boston, and soh cases
have occurred during Il East year in all Parts
of New England; but X has been epidemic so
as to attract the public attention in only a
few places.
In this city tfrs4 we're a few cases in Au-
gust, 1858, and FIVE, persons died with the
disease during the rjAainder of that year.
In 1859, seventeen u$Asons died of diptheria,
and during the preskSt year it has been pre-
sent in the city nearly alarhe time, not, how
ever, assuming an epidemi& character
1t has passed over all portions OF France
within the last thirty-fve years, and through
out England during the past six or eight
years, causing large mortality among chill
dren. What is it?
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, beiug between two and twelve
years of age. 1t commences with the usual
symptoms of cold, and with considerable
fever. simultaneously with these symptoms,
and some times preceding them, there is a
deposit in spots, of whitish or greyish
white membrane upon the tonsils and back
part of the mouth. This membrane increases
g.
} phoid character, there is great constitutional
depression, the breath becomes excessively
! fetid, and in some cases, the glands about
/ the neck become enlarged When death
; takes place, it is caused in some cases by the
) extension of the false membrane to the air
passages, producing the effects of Group; in
other cases, it is caused by exhaustion and
D fever from the poison of the disease In some
, epidemics, majority of the fatal cases will
!, : die apparently from Group; in other epidem-
les, the larger portion will die from the con-
, stltutional symptoms. In the severe epidemic
in the city of Albany, in 1858, few cases oc-
, CURED in the spring and summer; but the
greatest severity of the disease was in 0cto-
; Der and November"
Perhaps this gives a sufficient idea of the
0 subject for the general reader, though very
. imperfect as medical description.
The causes of diptheria, like those of scar
latia, are very little known, and perhaps for
0 this very reason there is a very great di yer.
2 sity of opinion among physicians in relation
Q to it, and any number of discordant and con.
= hicting theories have been advanced An ac
. count of these, though it might be amusing
2 would only serve to confuse the reader.
The TRUTHS, that diptheria is now a new
disease to physicians and to the people of tht
present generation, in this country. lt die
. prevail extensively here, many years since
2 and an excellent account of it was written by
. a physician in New York.
1t is entirely distinct disease from scar
latina or Group, though it has some relations
2 to these diseases which might at times, caus
2 doubt in the minds of superficial observers
The indications seem to be, at present
that we shall see much more of it in thi
2 country, and it is important that physician
2 should make themselves familiar with it,
! The Rhode Island Medical Society has a
ready awarded a prize for dissertation upo
the subject, which will soon be published
and we are happy to know that some, q
2 least, of the physicians in this city have bee
. interested in the disease during the last tw
2 years, and are acquainted with all the part
2 ulars of its history, symptoms and treatmen
Providence POSI-
n