Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1880-05-20
CURE FOR DIPHTHERIA.
An Able Paper On the Cause and Cure Of
DiDhtheria-The Disease Highly Con.
fariauS


tagiOus.
At the meeting of the State Medica
society of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, or
Wednesday last, DR.. B. 0. Reynolds o
Geneva read carefully prepared paper
upon diphtheria, in which he stated thai
the disease had been known under diff
ferent names from the earliest history
of medicine. He said that the disease
is not governed by any known climatic
or meteorological laws or atmosphere
conditions. 1t has been known to rage
with equal violence in summers heat
and winters colo; in marshy and i'll
drained localities, and upon the dryest
and most elevated places. The sands
of the Pacific and the granite hills OF
New England known it alike; the den.
sely crowded cities and sparsely settled
dry prairies, where the air is the purest
He dwelt al length upon its symptom:
and kinsEip with other diseases. but
these points are of less interest than its
treatment, IN regard to which he said
AS the nature and pathology of diph.
liberia yet remain somewhat yelled in
obscurity, it is not surprising that Its
treatment has often been vaciilating
experimental and uncertain. There
are cases so mild that no medication is
necessary; and there are others sc
malignant and rapid in the course that
the best treatment known to the pro.
fession will fail to arrest or mitigate
From what is known Of its pathology, a
sustaining tonic and stimulating treat
ment is plainly indicated, and the eff
cacy of this plan has been verified by
thousands of judicious physicians dur.
ing the past few years. This kind oil
treatment is particularly required in
cases of considerable severity, as the
tendency is to depression and death by
asthenia. In such cases tonics, stimu.
lants and nourishipg diets should be
commenced early and persisted in sys
tematlcally. We have learned to place
great reliance upon quinine, chlorate
of potash, tincture OF chloride of iron
and alcoholic stimulus; and these rarely
disappoint us unless the cases are extra.
ordinarily malignant. We have nc
stereotyped formula, but would pre-
scribe for six-year-old child about the
following: Q1inine 2 grains; tincture
chloride of iron NJ 10, to be taken to.
gether in a tablespoonful of whisky
sling every four hours. Also one table.
spoonful of saturated aqueous solution
of potash chlOras, every hour during the
day; but less often during the night tc
enable the patient to get more rest. II
marked asthenia is present, or occurs
during treatment, we increase the alco.
holic stimulent decidedly. We have
given with apparently good results to a
ten-year child haIf-ounce of whisky
every hour. We insist upon good
nourishment throughout, and should
the stomach reject medicine, nourish-
ment, or both, we direct their admins
tration in the formsof enemas. We re.
gard that local treatment of the throa!
often does more harm than good, es,
peclally with timid children.
When the patient is old enough to
use gargles intelligently we frequently
direct their use, not with view to ar
resting the disease. but to soothe and
mitiga te in some measure the local in.
Elimination. But hopping the throat
with medicated solution is worse than
useless with young children. The inha-
lation Of steam or medicated vapor is
highly recommended. While we dc
not regard alcoholin any proper sense
specific or PROXY Tactic in diphtheria
we nevertheless regard it as a very valu
sble therapeutic remedy, judiciously
administered IN cases presenting symp
toms of marked asthenia; and in al
severe cases we administer it freely il
anticipation of this event.