The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1881-03-17
Diphtlleria.

+. /. So u Z s!,
DR.. 81. p. Gauther OF St. Paul, has
an article in the last number of tho
Chicago Medical RepieW, which, by
reason of the prevalence Of diphth
is of peculiar interest just now. Thd
article is as follows:
While at Natchez, Miss, in the earl
part Of 1865, / was led. through my
experience with an epidemic then AM
there prevalent, to adopt the treat
ment / now propose to describe
During this epidemic, about 100 case
of diphtheria were successfully treate'
in the manner about to be described
For some years subsequent to m
return to Illinois, I treated all th
cases I encountered fifty in number J
with complete success by the same
means, and have since treated about
$50 cases, all with the same satisfac-
tory result, except in two instances,
where death occurred, the patient
being almost moribund when coming
under treatment. Previous to the
adoption of the present mode Of treat
ment, my results were by no means as
satisfactory, the disease proving fatal
in at least one-third the whole number
of cases. The treatment which has
proven SO successful in my hands is as
follows: The patient is ordered tine
ture of iodine in ten OF twelve drop
doses every hour, we'll diluted with
water, SO long as the fever lasts, sub
sequently reducing it to ten drops
every two, and finally, every three
hours; local applications of the drug
are made use of at the same time.
These latter should be made by the
physician himself at least twice a
day. For internal use, give latterly,
the decoloriZed tincture; bread, and
starchy things of diet, are at the same
time used in abundance. Such is my
treatment. Having given it in detail
shall now cite few cases, dealing
at first with the unsuccessful ones.
Case I.-Six years ago / was called
to patient on Robert street-a boy
six years of age, who was cyanotic,
and whose throat displayed the usual
diphtheretic patches, some of them
proceeding to gangrene. The case
was seen in consultation with DR.. S.,
of st. Paul, but, despite all our efforts,
sood died.
Case II. to III.-In the course Of the
next week was again called by the
mother of the last patient to see two
other children i'll from the same dis
ease, but only in the early stages.
The iodine treatment was freely and
fairly used, and. despite a very severe
illness, the patients recovered per-
fectly.
Case IV.-Five years az I was
called to see a child living in a neat,
small house built upon dry sand. The
child's family together with another
French family of six members, occu-
pied the house. On my arrival I found
the child nearly moribund from diph-
liberia, and he soon after died. Six
children in the same house were at
tackled by the disease, but, being
treated promptly and freely i'll the way
Indicated, recovered.
The two cases already cited are the
only ones in which death has occurred
since my adoption of the iodine treat
ment.
Case V.-Fifteen days ago worm
out cripple came to see me from the
timber regions, much run down ply
sically, and with his throat in an ap-
parently gangrenous condition. The
prompt free use of iodine enabled him
to engage in his usual avocation in the
course of six days.
These and numerous other cases,
show that the remedy is Of decided
value, sufficient to warrant it's trial in
every case Of diphtheria, to the ex-
clusion of other constitutional
remedies.