Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-02-05


DiphtheIia was almost 81 unk1ow7 d's-
! ease twenty yesrs aco. To day II has unt y
y assumed tie psol aTt.on % a ctilt.4i.e IN
his city and in neigh corins towns. a. -
:. ks a6ults a. well as children. but ,sS
-, ages SIRE chiefly among the young an5
- =. The cread which parents formerly
feYf, =, scarlet fever has given place ID .le
Sress ., diphiheria, aud the rapid and fttsl
cbsrss@s, of the disease makes ~ Ulore FOR
nItisbie Hsn any other of the diseases 10
which chaSA nv well esi SbiisbeI La, sinh.
thsria o-fsSrss. :, al least in very many IN
stances. non, -, ectye drainage al sever
gas Ths poso edei causes iSsG ~ iYnsS,i
fayar aTes.,,-alTH..~> ia developing diphthe-
ria. The most obvio-s> precautions against
me disease are, then, u "A 80 1872, 80 80
honses from sSSa] saS e latter OBJ ct
can be accomplished with ~ any Ahd - ~
comparatively small expc-> ,,a,, 4, 10y ~
necessary 10 place large wg-%-r 49, -
drain connecting the waste-ssh -. uis
house with the sewer and TO runs - ~
Ing pipe from the side of the trap rPA t,rse
house IN The rOOE Whatever gas T-sNy -
its way through This trap will escape ~ -
ventilaiing pipe, since the small tres .
meath the wash stand will sfTOrd a gre-s'.
resistance 10 The gas than j. offered by -
column OF air In the ventilator. Witho-E
the large trap and the ventilating pipe, those
small tfaps are nearly worthless, and those
who rely upon them alone for protection
should understand that they are I'm constant
danger OF the whole class OF diseases which
have their origin IN the oisoning OF the sys-
tenn by sewer Ess.
Diphthslla is not a difficult disc ase % c1rl-
bat when ~ Is treated In time. The distirc-
tive feature Of II h the formation of "a false
membrane in the throat. This makes its APP
pssrarce in nearly all cases IN The shape %
gray iSh brown patches, and IL Is hence ~ the
utmost importance 10 watch closely Tho
thTOats OF children who are apparently ill
with cold AMI sore throat. Usualty there Is
fever and prOsiritiOn in the early stages Of
the disease, though in rare instances the
false membrane il formed suddenly and al
most without warning II the thruatS OF all
ing children are frequently examines, there
viii be little danger that parents will mis-
take incipient diphtheria for an ordinary
cold. Scores OF children haved phthpria who
would undoubtedly be now alive hal fne
grayish brown patches in The throat ben
discovered at their first appearance, ald a
competent physician been promptly sum
mODeu.
Why the disease should have heen So rare
n score OF years ago ~ - impossible 10 say.
There are, however. abundance OF causes for |
lis prevalence now. SeweT-gas Is silently |
doing its de adly work OF poisoning thousands |
OF families in this city. In the SUBURBS,
damp cellars and the neighborhood OF maia-
rlOus marshes Go their share IN the slaughter /
OF those who have not constitutions OF cast
iron. DiIhtheria is q disgrace 70 any com
munity, since its prevalence in the shape of
an epidemic means a gross violation OF SAM
tary rules. Let us cut of the Sc yer gas from
access To our houses, and watch Wi ia vigil
lance the symptoms of children who COM
plain OF fever and sore throat. By so doiu-.
The roll of deaths from this dreaded disease
can be greatly diminished and. with the
progress OF sanitary science. n NAV ulti-
mately be banishcd IOrevcr.-N y Tones