Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1879-01-31
Prevention of Diphtheria.
PORTLAND, Jan. IL. 1878.

~ IuE EDiIoh OF THE OhEdONIAN.
Permit me to thank you for your ed
itorial in Saturdays Oregonidn entitled
The Recent Southern Epidemic" and
to suggest that most of the known phe-
nomena Of yellow fever are also phe-
nomena Of disease more to be dreaded
in Oregon--diphtheria. Diphtheria,
equally with yellow fever, is the result
OF importation. Its transmission be
tween different points is wholly due to
human intercourse. or at least to in
fected articles. Disinfectants are val
ueless and medical skill is unavailing
for its prevention or cure by means OF
drugs. Absolute non intercourse with
patient suffering from it alone pre-.
vents its spread. It is a highly con.
tagious and very dangerous disease.
No sanitary precautions are sufficient
to prevent its spread; indeed no atmos-
pheric or other conditions seem to be
necessary to its propagation. 1t is as
fatal in the palace Of the prince as the
hovel of the peasant. AS the in,roduc.
tion of yellow fever in the south can
be traced to two cases upon single
ship, and as proper precautions to pre-.
vent contagion from these cases would
have saved thousands of lives, so the
importation of diphtheria into this
state could with proper inquiry be
traced to single case or cases, and
with proper quarantine regulations the
lives of hundreds of children might
have been saved. For the want of such
precautions the children are dying in
various parts of the state even now.
The ignorance, the superstition and the
criminal negligence which prevails con
cerning it is surprising. Parents who
knowingly 20 where the disease is and
then convey it into their households
and thus cause the death of their chill.
dren by acts that can be characterized
as nothing less than criminal lay the
death Of their offspring upon Divine
Providence. People 90 from the bed,
side of patients suffering from this dis
case upon the public streets and minelt
10 the public assemblies and convey the
germs of death in their clothing. to b,
scattered broadcast in the community
The ordinances of the city of Portland
requiring notice to be given of cases oI
diphtheria and flag to be displayed
where diptheria exists are disreparded
Children from families where there ar
cases of this disease have to be sent b,
the teachers from the public schools
and only yesterday child, after min
Cling with its classmates in Sabbath
school in this city, was sent home be
cause it was stated there was case o
diphtheria in the family.
1t is stated upon what appears to b.
good authority that not long since
person here on visit died of diphthe
ria. in this State, in the family of
gentleman we'll known to the writer
who had a bright little girl Of two o
three years old. and thatthe father tool
the little innocent and carriedit into tn
room to see the corpse. As might hav
been expected, in few days the chilt
died Of diphtheria, result whicl
might have been anticipated with al
most as unerring certainty as dealt
might have been expected if dose O
poison had been administered to tn
child.
Let us have more intelligent effor
to prevent this disease by non-inter
course with it and less superstition, les
care!essness, less cant about "affiiction
of Providence" more attention t. man
agency in producing these Affections.
This communication may seem bars
TO some who have been afflicted by tn
dread disease, but I write for the d
fenseless ones--the children, your ow
children and my children, exposed
e death by the criminal carelessness I
e Others. am willing to stir some
/: in lignation if by doing so I can all
arrest the attention Of the Indifferent
r this subject. Yours, truly.
PRUDENCE.