St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1861-01-24
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Diptheria Its Origin and Cure.
The word Diptheria or Diptheritis--et,
ymologically means nothing more than the
inflammation of a ilembrane-and was in.
vented by Bretonneau to express that gen.
eral class Of disease. The progress of med,
icai science, like a.! others, is towards alb.
solute accuracy Of definition. "Diptheria'
has accordingly, within the last few years
been set apart as the sign Of a specific
membrane disease. 49,. ~; .'.j' -.
This disease, though in many respects
resembling croup-aqd in certain, others,
quinsy, is distinguishable from both; by
certain well-markcd characteristics. Like
Group, it is accompanied by the formation
of false membrane in the' windpipe,
which if left to itself, accumulates till the
air passage is closed, and death ensues.-
But the false membrane or Group is an ex-
udation Of natural lymph from the vessels
of the mucous membrane, stimulated to
excess by high febrile condition of the tis-
sue. While on the other hand Diptheria
is scarcely ever febrile in its pathology
and its pseudo-membrane is the result of a
sloughing off rather than an exudation of
the mucous coating. Group belorgs to
the inaammatory type of diseases-Dip-
liberia, save in exceptional cases, does not.
In Group, the breath of the patient is usu-
ally untainted. In diptheria the breath
Of the patient is characterized by a
peculiar and sometimes almost intolerable
toetor. The Emphatic discharges of Group
are seldom acrid. . The discharges from
the nose and mouth of the Diptheric pa
tient are ichorous and excoriating to the
highest degree. Crouo is not particularly
prostrating to the general strength of the
person attacked by it,, ,,Diptheria is inya-
riably accompanied by extreme debility
and loss Of muscular as we'll as nervous
tone, which often continues for months nf-
ter the Immediately dangerous symptoms
have been overcome. Finally-Diptheria
is contagious-Croup is not.
1t Will be seen from these details that
Diptheria and Quinsy have more intimate
points Of resemblance than Diptheria and
Group. In certain cases, this resemblance
is greatly increased by a complication Of
the observation-disclosures symptom Of Dip
liberia with malignant Inflammation of the
tonsils. Still the observation-disclosures
symptom is OF course always sumcieuss :: ::
distinguish it from Quinsy.-
It is not probable that Diptheria is a
new disease. The scientific accuracy Of
medical terms has made such rapid prog
ress during the last half century, that the
practice frequently find the data Of disea-
ses as reported thirty years ago, unavaila-
bic throug gh vasueness for the purposes of
an indicative experience. Nevertheless,
from all that can be ascertained on the
subject, the identity Of Diptheria with the
"Putrid Sore Throat" which made such
fearful ravages in Albany and other places
a quarter Of century ago, seems very
probable. That malady was characterized
by marked typhoid symptoms-and this
indication has its counterpart in the ex-
treme prostratiou Of Diptheria. =. If we
recollect rightly, not a single case of the
old Putrid Sore Throat, which received
the then universal depicting treatment of
calomel and blood-letting, ever recovered
from this disease. At the present day,
nobody in his senses would think of letting
blood or give exhaustive. medicine, for Dip
liberia.
The treatment Of the disease proposes
to itself two ends: .... T.. :..
lst. To evoke and sustain all the nat
ural vital forces Of the patient. , =.
f2nd. To rid the air passages Of the
false membrane. ..
For the attainment of the first end-nu-
tritious, digestible food, being the most
natural, is, of course, also the best means.
Strong beef tea combines all the most de-
sirable elements for such purpose. It
should be given from the earliest stages Of
the disease-and when, as sometimes hap
pens, the fauces become closed by the dis
ease-or the parts become too painful to
admit of swallowing-it is still to be Civ
eu in the form Of anal inj jections. Brandy
in judiciors hands, is another stimul lus of
the highest value in Diptheria. Iron in
various forms has been administered with
great success. Perhaps its most efficient
form, as determined by late experience, is
the sesquioxide. Its effect seems to be
two-fold sustaining the general strength
of the patient-and assisting the tendency
of the mucous membrane to throw off and
eject the diptheritic slough.
For the attainment of the second end;
innumerrble methods have been proposed
and some of them have been very sue
cessfal. Occasionally the use of the SEES
quioxlde above mentioned has been men
toned has been successful, in cooperation
with the forces of nature, to produce the
rejection Of the membrane as fast as it &C.
cumulated and before it was indurated suf-
6ciently to exclude all air from the lungs.
Sometimes it has been found possible to
dctach and pull out the membrane by
means Of hooked or forcep shaped instru-
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