The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-10-25
The Treatment of Diphtheria

1
the outbreak of diphtheria in various To-
caIities to an extent which interfere:
with the schools and produces genera
alarm. Even the City of Providence
has been subject to a severe visitation
The rural districts, where new methods
of treatment and new remedies make
slow progress, are more excusable fol
the prevalence of this terrible disease,
but it is extraordinary that it should
gain the mastery of the medical profes-
sion of a city like Providence. Although
after a certain stage the disease gener-
ally defies remedy, it is well known in
the best medical circles to be very docile
in its earlier stages. 1t is remarkable
that the profession does not take more
pains to disseminate the latest methods
of treatment of diseases which stagger
the average physician. Even estate
medicine devotes itself almost exclu-
sively to the discovery of the causes and
source of disease and very little to its
remedies. This is rational method of
procedure, we admit; yet, as this process
of the extinction of disease is rather
roundabout and at best experimental, it
would seem advisable not to slacken the
application of known remedies to the
disease where it actually exists.
Diphtheria is a disease which springs
from the growth of a real fungus on
some of the mucous surfaces of the sys-
tenn, more generally of the throat. 1t
may be spread by contagion of the
mucous surface of diseased with those
of a healthy person, as in kissing, and
is to limited degree epidemic. From
the local parts affected it spreads to the
whole body, affecting the muscular and
nervous systems, vitiating the lymph
and nutrient fluids, and producing
paralysis. AS soon as the bacterium or
fungus appears in white patches on the
throat, it should no more be neglected
than bleeding cash or broken arm,
and there is almost as little need of a
fatal termination of one incident as of
the other. 1t has been found by actual
experiment, both in and out of the hui
man system, that this bacterium is kill
ed by several drugs, the safest and most
certain of which is chlorine water,
diluted with the addition of from two to
four times the volume of water. This
wash is harmless, even when swallowed,
and is pretty certain to arrest the disease.
A well known physician in this city,
who has pursued this treatment for Is
years, has found it effective almost with
out exception, and has in that period
often broken up the disease in localities
where it had ragged violently and defed
treatment. Prior to its use, he lost
three cases out of six, but
has since used it with scarcely
failure during the above mentioned
period. The recent great cyclopedia
of Ziemssen on the practice of medi-
cine gives the highest place to this
method of treatment. To keep the pa
tent well housed and warm, with ad-
ditional flannel clothing, if necessary,
and to keep the system well nourished
and the bowels open are matters of
nursing often neglected, but, with care
in these respects and early application
of the remedies above suggested, there is
no need of the disease proceeding to
a fatal termination, or even to the de-
bilitating illness and painful cauteriza-
tons which 60 together in its later
stages.
AS to the origin of diphtheria, the
weight of testimony is that it belongs to
the class of filth diseases, but further
than that its source is not clear. Fam
lilies which would be scandalized at the
suggestion of untidiness are attacked,
while others of filthy sur
roundings escape. This simply
shows that our sense of
cleanliness needs cultivation, so that we
may discriminate between what is often
sive to the system and what offensive to
our falsely educated tastes. The farm
er's wife, to whom the closed and care
fully busted parlor Or the preternatural-
ly scubbed floor are the essentials of
neatness, may endure the proximity of
a sour swamp or of the kitchen cess
pool for years without taking offense.
To many a careful and laboriOus house
keeper, chance cob-web or the chill
dren's " litter" of few hours play will |
in Nervousness a defective |
drain for the cellar or badly conduct
ed privy.-SpringfeId (Mass.) RepubIi- |
can.