The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-01-14
DIPHTHERIA.

The following is taken from the
New York Sun, and is published for
what it may be worth. 1t is always
veil to bear in mind, that however
much the infallibilitv of cure may
be urged, such thing cannot be
known; and while the treatments It.
commended are OF use, and perhaps
great value in places where physicians
can be secured only With great
trouble and after the lapse Of con-
siderable time, j! is always the safest
plan to call in Trustworthy ply
stefan, and let him prescribe. de Is
certain to know more about the case
than you, and while be cannot always
ave, he can a, least allay the
sufferings OF the patient, while the
following out of these sure cures IN
many cases only heighten the
suferings of the victim. Many deaths
are caused by persons trying to treat
cases on sure cures, in order to save
expense, and will only call in a
physician when they find their treat
ment failure. and when the disease
mas secured such a hold that the
physicians services are too late to
save, and the beat he can do is to
alleviate the pain. 1t is the safest
and cheapest plan to call in doctor
when you can get one. When you
cannot, then try your sure cures. Il
is not improbable that doctor might
commend your treatment, but 1t Is
best to have that commentator be-
fore you try It.
To the Editor Of the Sun:
Some FIVE years ago had az abundant
opportunity TO treat diphtheris, which
was epidemic in the town where for the
last thirty yesrs l have practiced medi-
cine. / wish to remain lncognIto, and
my only object in writing on this subject
is that may be the humble means Of
saving valuable lives.
That diphtherla Is due TO some local
causes am convinced. That II was OF
nalarious origin in our town l have had
convincing proof. Most OF my cases
were of such serious type that l Was
compelled to CONT ue the build up treat
ment for weeks sitter the disease had
been conquered. But a number of cast s
were of such a mild type that no after
treatment was necessary, and here we
found that on the seventh, fourteenth
and twenty days, as IN chlils and
fever, the symptoms required. Hence
the natural inference that malaria poison
ing was the exciting cause.
This disease occurred IN the winter,
when all the ponds aad low places We're
Theoretically frozen up, mus greatly |
making the cd theory that decayiug |
matter is the prolific source of
this poison. The iLeficacy of the old
treatment led me to endeavor to devise
some more etfectusl one The plan |
firally adopted was so pre-emInently |
that ouI state medical Journal |
published it in the transactions of that !
year. l dropped the cauterlzation OF the
throat as barbarous. 1t frightened, and
thus shocked the nervous sy stem, and II
was only to a small extent local, while
The disease was constitutional. suostl-
tuted the use of an Inhaler charged with
a solution of salicylic acid, commercial
carbolic acid, and little tincLure Of
iodine dissolved IN alcohol. These were
carried, through the decomposition OF the
aqua ammonia and muriaIic acid, in
smoke through the nasal passages and ali
Of the respiratory passages.
This was all the local treatment, excep-
ting where there was cough. A silk
Jacket was put on over plaster spread
ON the e, ecy side of the cotton flannel,
and made Of one drachm OF extract of
one drschm of powdered
gum camphor, to one ounce of Dssiiican
ointment. Constitutionally gave large
loses of quinine, dissolved in water,
with the aid of dilute sulphuric
acid, using an excess Of this acid,
disgusting the Quinine with extract
Of licorice and uncture OF uoiu. -As a
drink 1 gave them all they wished Of
sulphuric acid dilute, made as pleasant
This, with milk punch, con-
siituted the reliable treatment.
do not wish TO be understood to lain
hat my treatment will fitevery locality,
yet do assert that there were a great
many cases, some malignant, cured in
families where the OLD plan had utterly
allied. l have faith to believe, after ,
reating over 800 cases, thst this treat
nent was pre-eminently suited to the
Epidemic as we had 1t
As a sanitary precaution, SIN con
7inced that our houses should be daily !
protected from even the chance of sewer ,
yas, by putting q solution of carboic acid
q each water closet. II this plan were ,
adopted our sewers in turn
\ ould be disiHiected, and if our sewers
we're ventilated at stated distances by
ubes running 10 the top of the dwellings :
throughout our cities, q prolific source of
isease would be done away with.
A JERSEY DOCTOR. r