The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1880-11-14
as combining the morbid oood t;ons OF

as combining the morbid conditions Of
both Group and malignant scarlet fever,
one or the other beiag more prominent
according 10 the condition aud habits
Of the patient in whom the disease
occ1rs. Every febrile disease. and
diphiheria is febrile disease, that il
70 say, . local Inflammation essentially
accompanied with o constitutional fe-
ver-is either Of the inhamnstory or
typhoid disthesis, and If of the latter
is either % the putrid or nervous form.
Diphtheria is always OF the low or
typhoid character. and never attended
With high fever. II the condition OF
the patient be very gross. the disease
will present the pu,rid phase Of fever,
called typhus; bat if the patient be in q
less gross and more debilitaded state.
the disease will be Of the nervous form.
SEAT or THE DISEASE.
10 soms places where nearly every
case a diphtheria has terminate IA
tally, the disease is said TO have been Of
9 very malignant type; and in other
places, where few deaths have occurred.
il 10 said TO have b.sn Of . very mild
type; ss though the disease had a. ex-
istence and o character before it attack.
cd the living organism. But the truth
is. the disease. 80 far from existing -
an entity outside and independent Of
.he living system, is really. - 10 every
other form Of disease. the action Of the
vital organism itself. IL is the living
system in the act Of expelling impuri.
ties. and malignancy Is determined.
both IN nature and degree. by the con-
dition Of the system. and always exists
in the exact ratio to the grossness and
putrescency Of the blood or the debility
or exhaustion Of the nerves. Diphthe-
ria, putrid sore throat and Group.
though usually dItstirct, may run into
each other, as it were. by such imper
ceptible grsdations, that it Is some-
tines difficult TO draw the line Of do
marka.ion and tell where one ends and
the other begins, diphtberis holding
the intermediate relation, and combIn-
ing in itself more or less. in different
cases. tho. conditions of oxidation and
liberation. Even medical authors are
Hound TO disagree respecting the febrile
or non-febrils character OF diphtheris.
But tue truth is. the disease is always
fsbrile, although in many cases the
hot stage Of the fsbrile paroxysm may
be very slight and scarcely observed At
oil or entirely overlooked. And the
fever is always typhoid from frst to
last. so that the phases running into
typhoid and typhoid supervening' in.
dicate an erroneous view Of the char
acter of the malady.
The utmost care Of the patient for
weeks after the Immediately dangerous
symptoms have disappeared is neces-
sary. to prevent subsistence into the
diphtheritic state. Even where there
10 no return of the sloughing tendency.
the general prostitution of the system
IS usually so extreme that the most
DourishiDg tonics and stimulant treat
ment are called for to ward off q natu-
rally supervening attack of typhoid or
low nervous fever. rapid decline. or
chronic debility. There is, perhaps,
no form of disease known to the chill.
dren's practitioner in which skilful
hygiene and home treatment are more
imperatively demanded to follow up
and perpetuats the results of medical
effort. II possible, the greatest care
must also be taken during the period
OF fetid discharges, Ia separate the
remaining children of family from
the diseased one. for at this stage. par
ticularly. the disease is quite infectious.