Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-11-14
Advent Of Diphtheria.

We frequently hea it said that this ter
rible scourge is of comparatively recent orr
gin that it was never heard of until within
the last half century, etc. But friend hands
us copy of Belknap's History of New
Hampshire, published in 1901, from which
we copy the following, by which it appears
that the disease appeared in a most malig
nant form as early as l735-one hundred
aud forty-two years ago:
About this time the country was visited
with a new epidemic disease, which has OBJ
tanned the name of the throat distemper. The
general description of it is a swelled throat,
with white or ash-colored Specs an efilor-
sscence on the skin. great debility OF the
whole system, and strong tendency to
putridity. It's first appearance was in May,
1875. at Kingston in New Hampshire, an in
land town, situate on a low plain. The first
person seized was a child, who died III three
days. About a week after. in another fam
lily, at the distance of four miles, three chill
dren were successfully attacked, who also
died on the third day 1t continued spread
ing gradually in that township, through the
summer, and of the first forty who had it,
none recovered. In August it began to
make its appearance at Exeter, six miles
northeastwarl; and in September at Bos
ton, fifty miles southwark, though it was
October before it reached Chester, the near
est settlement on the west of Kingston. 1t
continued its ravages through the succeeding
winter and spring, and did not disappear
till the end of the next summer. On its
first appearance in Boston it was SUPPOSED
to be nothing more than common cold
but when the report of the mortality in New
Hampshire was received and young man
from Exeter whose brother had died of it,
was seized October, l735), the house was
shut and guarded, and general alarm spread
through the neighboring towns and colonies.
Upon his death no infection was observed
in that house or neighborhood; but the dis
temper appeared in other places which had
no communication with the sick. The phys
icians did not take the injection nor convey
it to their families nor their other patients.
1t was therefore concluded that it was not
like the smallpox, or the plague, communi-
cable by infection from the sick or from
clothes and the physicians having, by de-
sire of the selectmen, held consultation,
published their opinion, that it proceeded
entirely from some occult quality in the air.
,sThe most who died of this pestilence
were children; and the distress which it oc-
casioned was heightened to the most poign.
ant degree From three to six children were
lost out of some families several buried
four in day, and many lost their all. In
some towns one in three, and in others one
in four of the sick were carried off In the
parish of Hampton Falls it ragged most vio-
| lently. Twenty families buried all their
children. Twenty-seven persons were lost
out of five families and more than one sixth
part of the inhabitants of that place died
within thirteen months. In the whole Prov
| ince not less than one thousand persons, OF
whom above nine hundred were under
twenty years OF age, fell victims to this rag
ing distemper.
] 4 Al. :. 100. -. -.