Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-11-11
DIPHTHERIA.
What Il 10 and How TO Care IL.

D1PHTHRRIA.
What IL 10 and How 10 Cure IT,.
DIphtheria is q disease of the
blood,of the septic type, land belongs
to the same family as scarlet fever
It's always produced by living
germs, which, when once in the
system, increase rapidly by propa.
CATION and teed on the blood. first
lpiaming it and finally making q
combined and vigorous attack upon
the mucous surface aud glands oil
the throat. Ii is of the greatest i'm.
portance that the people as well as
the physician should understand
this disease, and it is especially i'm.
portant that the people understand
It, tor the reason that majority oil
physicians do not. 1t ia most in
sldlous, dangerous, aud, if not prop
erlg treated, most dangerous dis.
ease. Yet physicians who under.
Stand 1t never lose case. | have
been called upon TO treat many
cases of this disease, and have new.
or yet lost one. And if the women
OF the country were intelligent upon
the subject OF its character and
symptoms and familiar with the
use of such simple remedies as are
ia the reach of all it would be en-.
tIrely shorn OF its terrors, for then
IT by accident one person in a FAM
lily or neighborhood should be at
tackled by it, they could be readily
cured not only, but it could be pre-
vented from attacking others l
have said it 10 a septic disease.
Therefore the secret OF its preven>
ton lies almost wholly in the use of
antiseptics. Pure air is the great
universal antiseptic. What | mean
by pure air is air containing its nat
ural proportions Of nitrogen, oxy-
gen, and ozone. Soch atmosphere
ia fatal to ali forms of disease. pro.
duoing germs. They cannot live in
it. But as we are not yet able to
control the clements, we cannot al
ways have perfectly pare air. We
have however learned how to purify
it on limited scale, aud | have
scarce doubt but science will yet
teach Us how TO do SO Oh general
or universal seals.
When a case of diphtheria occurs
in family, we should know that
the patient caught it from sons
other person afflicted with 1t, either
directly or indirectly, for it cansot
arise spontaneously. The germs
may be carried in the clothing from
one person to another. In this way
physicians unconsciously or care
lessly spread this and other diseases
throughout whole neighborhoods.
Until within few few years,
smallpox was q most fatal disease,
spreading through whole commun-
tiles and killing people by huns
dreds. Now 1t rarely proves fatal,
and never becomes epidemic, except
whore tho people and the physicians
are alike ignoran of sanitary sci.
ence.
1t 10 not vaccination that has sub.
dued this terrible pestience, but dis
infection-correct habits of diet and
fresh air, sanitary science and com.
mon sense. A year and 3 half ago
we were called to see q ease of diph
iberia by physician Of forty years
| experience, who had lost two other
cases in the same family within az
many weeks. He said to US, like an
honest man 81 do not know bow
to cure this new disease, and | am
resdy to adopt any treatment tina,
you may recommend" We replied
"This house has the diphtheria, and
the first thing to do is to cure it.
he expressed astonishment, and
asked for su explanation. "Why,'
said I, "the atmosphere of the house
the walls, the carpets, the beds
and the clothing of it's occupant.
are full of diphtheria disease germs
which must be destroyed or this
child will die other mbsrs of tbs
family follow it and from here the
disease will spread to the nsighbor
ing houses, carried in the clothes o.
visitors" In the language of or
ancient poet, / said : Bring me
sulphur, that | may fumigase th,
ROOM" and I improved upon tn,
ancient prescription by adding tar
The house was thoroughly saturated
with the fumes of tar and sulphur
The windows aud doors we're Their
thrown open that the fresh air AM
sunlight might enter and carry OF
the disease-chsrged vspors Pre-
scribiug for the patient appropriate
anti-septios as internal remedies
and liquid ozone as gsrgle Tor tn
throat, then in tho first state of al
, cerstion. l departed. The child re
covered rapidly. nor did any othe
cases occur in that family.
Irspeat, the cause of the diseas
, Is living germs, and the chief remed
is disinfection. Destroy the germ
of disease in the patient and 10 tn
, house, and the work is done.
: Distinction is the basis of sanitar
science, and it ia of the utmost ia
!. portance that those who preside owe
!. the house should understand thi
: and should be familiar with the VII
t tues of the leading or most powerfI
disinfsctants
b "Disease," says Prof. Tyndall, e
produced from seeds planted in Ii
:, system, which, finding their prop,
!, soil and temperature, develop au
multiply" Il is vital process, nt
o chemical one. Chemical substal
ces have no power to multiply then
! selves. LiyiHg organisms only ca