Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1863-01-23
Diptheria.

Diptheria, would like to see in the col
umns of your paper the following, which
copy from the Christian Freeman and
Family Visitor
Mrs. Swisshelm, the editor of the St.
Cloud Minnesota Democrat, having her
self been recently afflicted with this di-
sease, and restored again to sound health,
is qualified to give valuable information
in regard to it. The prescriptions and
suggestions are all good, and will gener-
ally apply with equal benefit to all diff
culties of the throat of an innamatory ma
ture, produced by sudden colds.
Mrs. Swisshelm says: at is general
ly supposed that this is a new disease,
but we have been able to discover no
difference between it and the 'putrid sore
throat as it appeared in Western Penn
sylvania 40 years ago, accompanied with
scarlet fever. We are satisfied that it is
so, and experience of 25 years teaches
us that it is very easily managed if pro-
perly managed.
With US the first symptoms of dipthe-
ria are generally languor and feeling of
fatigue, with dry spot in the throat
The spot has tickling or itching sensa-
ton. To one looking in the throat there
is an ash colored spot visible just where
we feel this dry itching. Sometimes in
few moments another, and another
spot will appear, and soon this spot will
begin to protrude-not like a pimple
raised in the center--but the entire sur
face of the spot fiat, raised up from the
surrounding parts like knob. Then it
| feels like bone or some other hard sub
stance sticking fast, and tue itching then
gradually becomes a slight singing pain.
The throat swells, and swallowing be-
comes painful-sometimes impossible
If we are in the kitchen when we feel
the first spot, We wet finger, touch it
on salt and apply it Immediately to the
spot in the office, we wet a finger in
spirits of turpentine and apply that if
in our chamber, we touch it with cam
phor. We are careful never TO LET it
have two minutes of start. Spirits OF
camphor, as it is sold by the apothecary,
should be made one half or two-thirds
WATER to be used on sugar as a gargle.-
We assure our readers there is no seri-
GUS cause for alarm if they will only
obey few very simple directions, which
will not conflict with the prescriptions of
any intelligent physician.
CURE: First and foremost important
From the first appearance Of the disease
do not let the patient leave his room for
an instant, no matter how much he wants
to run about Keep the atmosphere of
that room warm and damp. Keep up
hot fire with slight opening in a win
dow or door, to supply pure air
and draw the odor of the sick room up
the chimney and through the stove-pipe.
Keep water constantly boiling in the
room to moisten the air. Do not let the
patient take one drop of anything cold
until the cure is complete. A cold wet
cloth to tbe outside is little better than
murder. 1t should be carefully covered
with dry flannel, and frequently rubbed
with stimulant emolient liniments. Equal
parts o. melted lard, spirits of camphor,
and spirits of turpentine, shaken well to-
gether in a bottle and applied warm, is
perhaps the best liniment but Breck-
enridge coal oil is nearly, if not quite as
good. For the inside of the throat, drop
few drops of the spirits of camphor on
brown sugar, hold it in the mouth until
it dissolves and runs down around the
tonsils, when the patient should gargle
with it and throw it out. Then take an
other, a second bit, and eat it. This
once in two or three hours, as the case is
bad, and between times gargle with a
wash of two parts Of strong sage tea aud
one part of vinegar well sweetened with
brown sugar-gargle three or four times
in succession-then swallow spoonful
to be sure that all the affected parts of
the throat have been reached. Always
have a vessel of hops and vinegar at
hand, in case the patient may experience