Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-01-03
New York world.

the Princess Allce ana one OF ner
children have Just died Of diphtheria,
and nearly all of her family has been
FRUSTRATED by the same disease, in spite
of all that medical care could do for
them. And now that the season usually
marked by nm increase in tho number Of
cases OF dlptheria has come and public
attention abroad and vt home has been
eventually directed to that disease, the
question ns to the most successful treat
ment Oft has again arisen. The latest
newspaper suggestion il that SULPHUR In
the form ordinarily known M blowers
of SULPHUR" DO given internally, If it
can be swallowed, or blown into the
nose and throat through quill. This
plan, some of the secular Journals oc-
casionally say, has been tried IN this
country with success, and accounts Of
the mode Of treatment having reached
England experiments were made there
M To the efficacy Of sulphur "a u cure
for dipthera. Mr.. John S. Wiles, n
surgeon Of Dorset, wrote TO the London
Times recently that he had had to CON
tend with an outbreak Of diptheria Of
the most malignant type on q large
dairy iarm, md began by applying to
the fungus growth in the throat and
nostris the usual cnustics and astring-
ent preparations of iron and the like; but
two cases out of nine or ten having
proved fatal, he was led, nj the sug-
gestion of the mother OF the patients
to try sulphur. He give tho woman "
LIQUID preparation composed of sui
phur and glycerine, and directed that
each child should swallow, according to
ngc, IL tenspoonlul or more OF the liquid
three or four times II day, and TINT q
little should be applied to the nostrls
with sponge. Mr.. Wiles was so inn
pressed with the efficacy oftho remedy,
he said, that he adopted it in all other
cases, and never lost II case where the
remedy was used MT the earliest stage
of the infection. For infants Mr.. Wiles
used the milk ofsulphur, and for older
children and adults tbs "ilowors Of
sulphur"
A lVmM reporter WINS tempted to IN
quire If the remedy was ~ genuine one.
Professor Alfred l.. LOOMS said no had
u dim remembrance Of having read
somewhere at some time that the nd
minsmtion of sulphur had been recon-
mended in diphtheria. lie had heard
physicians discuss tho supposed remedy
but he did not know Of any who had
used il, and he never used II himself.
"Indeed," said DR.. LOOMS, II don't
know why | should use II. Its only
property would be that of an antiscptic,
and there are many much better--car-
II. Il. 20
"What is diptheraY
at is an infectious disease-that Is,
one capable of being transmitted from
one person to another. Opinions fur
ther than this are divided about equally.
Some hold that IL ~ IL purely local dis
ease in which tho throat only is con.
cerned, while others claim that it is II
disease of the whole system, the mem
brane or emulation in the throat being
one of its expressions.
"What is your opinionY
81 believe diptheria to be disease OF
the whole system. In different cpl
denies tho types differ. Sometimes
YOU will find the throat affection To be
the most severe, causing death by me-
chanical obstruction Of the air passages
and, again, you will find that the con
stitutional symptoms, which are OF a
depressing and exhaustive nature, xii
the patient before the emulation has adj
vInced far"
is there any reason why dipthcria
should he most prevalent in the winter
season.
"Only that ut opening Of winter PEG
pie begin to shut themselves NJ
in their houses and 50 surround
themselves with imperfect by
gienic conditions, and inhal,
more sewage gas than ordinarily. Diph
iberia is by no means disease Of cole
climates, for it is found i'll tropca
countries. There arc atmospheric con
ditions that tend to make dlphthcri;
epidemic, but what those conditions ar
il not readily understood. II il certain
however, that they have nothing " q
with the change ofthe seasons.
Is diphtheria very prevalent now
Il have not found it SO as yet thi
winter. Aud you cannot judge nue.
rs to the relative mortality OF dilieren
seasons under given treatment, becaus
at one time the disease takes on the eN