Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-12-20
DIPHTHERIA.
Its COntagiOn Well observation-disclosures
Isolation and Quarantine Recommended
How the Propagation of the Disease is
Facilitated How the Schools May be

Kept From Spreading the Disease.
This disease is now prevalent in many
parts of the States and has been the
cause of many deaths. During the year
1879 there were in this State 400 deaths
from diphtheria, and the number is likely
to be greater this year.
The cause of this disease and its means
of propagation have been anXiously sought
for by physicians and sanitarians, and it
is hoped that in time some way may be
found to prevent it. One thing now
seems to be settled, and that is, that
diphtheria can nearly always be traced to
contagion.
AT the meeting of the American Public
Health Association in New Orleans last
week the following resolutions were Of
feredb y DR.. D. W. Hand of this city and
were passed without opposition:
Resolved, That the contagiousness of diph-
liberia is now well established and that the
disease should in all cases be treated with the
same Isolation and quarantine that is every
where enforced against small pOX.
Resolved, That as we know little or nothing
of the origin of diphtheria we Will request the
National Board of Health to continue their in
vestigation as to the causes of this disease.
At the same meeting Dr. Elisha
Harris of New York read paper
entitled "a Medical View of the Domes-
| tic pestilences," etc, in which he emu
merates certain personal and social con-
ditions and causes which facilitate the
propagation and fatal operation of diph-
theria'' as follows:
First-Failure of family physicians, nurses
| and the community to regard and treat the
| presence of diphtheria, as. a self-propagating
| malady and es pecally to regard and sanctirily
| treat all out-iowings and eXcreta from the pa
| tients as contagious and requiring immediate
| and effectual disnfection.
| SccOnd-The failure to organize all nursing
| and personal attendance of the sick, so
as to exclude all who are not
employed under medical supervisions,
for the care of the patients and all that per-
| tains to them. In other words, the want of
| central and etfectual sanitary advice concern
ing the sanitary care of the sick.
Ihlrd-failure to etfectually disinfect the
entire premises and all material of the domi-
Gle where there has been diphtheria.
Fourth-Failure to recognize and act upon
the medical fact that persons convalescent
from diphtherla may convey Infection of the
malady several weeks after recovering from the
sick bed.
DIR. III. B. Baker, of Michigan, also read
a paper on "The Relations of Schools to
Diphtheria and Similar Diseases in
which he states that '!the ravages of
this disease are no less terrible than those
of yellow fever, and they demand the at
tention not only of local. but of state and
national boards of health" He farther
says:
In Michigan, at least, the proportion of
deaths reported of children between the ages of
five and ten years, compared with the deaths
of those under five years of age, is consider
ably greater from diphtheria than in those
from scarlet fever, Group, diarrhGa, or any of
the diseases which particularly cause the death
OF children. In my mind the question arises
whether dphtheria is spread less than is scarlet
fever by the aerial dust which reaches children
| under five years of age, by way of infected
clothing, or whether this greater proportion
of deaths from diphtheria among children over
five years of age may not be because children
over five years of age attend the public schools,
and diphtheria is spread more than is scarlet
fever by such contact as there occurs.
In this country, at least, diphtheria
seems to have prevailed more in the
cold than in the warm ATTITUDES, more in
winter than in summer. This is true of scar
let fever it is also true of small poX. The
explanation does not seem TO me to be difficult,
tt one supposes diphtheria and scarlet fever to
attack the body where they seem to attack it,
namely, at or near the entrance to the air
passages. Any one who has lived in a cold
climate in the winter, knows how much more
liable one is in cold weather to have sore
throat, ''chapped' lips as well as chapped
hands, Influenza ETC., all of which conditions
supply rare surface for the reception Of the
contagiOn of disease which, for its reception,
requires to gain entrance into the body in
some such way. Besides, ventilation of rooms
is much less complete in winter than in
SIMMER. In its time and area of most frequent
occurrence, therefore, diphtheria seems to be al
lied to certain diseases known to be communi-
cable, and it may here be remarked that in its
time and area of greatest prevalence the evil
dence shows that diphtheria is not allied to
dlarrh9a, the disease perhaps more generally
than any other attributed to filth as cause;
nor is it either in its time or area of prevalence,
allied to cholera, Il communicable disease, the
spread of which is more than that of most
others attributed to filth. On the contrary the
commonly accepted filth diseases prevail most
in warm climatas and in the warm season in
temperate climates, while with diphtheria, ac-
cording to my observations, the reverse is
true. But whatever the cause or the mode of
spread of diphtheria, it is import
ant that we know the time of greatest
danger in order best to guard against it. 1t is
well to remember that it prevails most in
cold weather.
HOW DIPTHTHERIA MAY BE sPREADIN SCHOOLS.
1t is not alone by the breathing of infected
air that diphtheria may be communicated from
child to child in school. Indeed, those who
deny that the air is often or ever medium of
communication of the disease, and who are at
all familiar with the thoughtless ways of little
children in school, must yet recognize that the
possible means of communication by almost
direct contact are many. Who has not seen a
school boy with his mouth full of marbles
just taken from mate? Children often Dor
row and lend pencils which, by instinct, they
wet in the mouth or hold in the mouth; they
borrow sponges of one another to
wipe their states, which they moisten with
saliva. In so democratic Il community as a
primary school-room it is common thing to
drink from the same cup. Their clothes com
monty hang in close contact in close closets
and ante-rooms. They manifest their likes or
dislkes by biting or refusing to bite from the
same apple; and little girls often pledge eternal
friendship by that classic symbol, "sharing
gum" Though these things may occur out
side the schools, they are the more frequent
the more children are brought together as they
are in schools.
HOW CAN THE SCHOOLS GO ON WITHOUT DIS
SEMINATING DISEASE.
The two most jmDOrtant GENERAL nrincirsl -