New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1881-03-30
A CURE FOR DiPHTHERIA.
Iodine a Simple and Successful Rem.
edy for the Dread Disease.

O1.n.xs UduG1lloAs VI oCs 1dul. MILL,
contributes the following to the Chica-
go Medical Revi,u: "While at Natchez,
Miss, in the early part Of 1865, was
led, through my experience with an
epidemic then and there prevalent, to
adopt the treatment now propose to
describe. During this: epidemic about
100 cases of diphtheria were success
fully treated in the manner about to be
described. For some years subsequent
to my return to Illinois I treated all
the cases encountered (6fty in mum.
ber) with complete success by the
same means, and have since treated
about $50 eases, all with the same salts.
factory result, except in two instances,
where death occurred, the patient be.
ing almost moribund when coming
under treatment. Previous to the
adoption of the present mode of treat.
ment my results were by no means rs
satisfactory, the disease proving fatal
in at least one.t third the whole number
of cases. The treatment which has
proved so successful in my hands is as
follows: The patient is ordered tincture
of iodine in ten to twelve drop doses
every hour, well diluted with water,
so long as the fever lasts, subsequently
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 him
self at least twice day. For internal
use, give, latterly, the decolorized
tincture; bread and starchy articles of
diet are at the same time used in abund-
ance. Such is my treatment. Having
given it in detail I shall now cite few
cases, dealing at first with the unsr,c-
cessful 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 diph-
theritic patches, some of them pro-
ceding to gangrene. The case was seen
in consultation with Dr.. S., of St. Paul,
but despite all our efforts, soon. di ed.
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 fully
used, and despite a very severe illness
the patients recovered perfectly.
Case Nv. Five years ago was called
to see child living in 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 found
the child nearly moribund from diph-
iberia, and he soon after died. Six
children in the same house were at.
tackled by the disease. but being treat.
ed promptly and freely in the way indi.
Gated, recovered.
The two cases already cited are the
onley ones in which death has occurred
since my adoption Of the iodine treat.
ment.
Case V. Fifteen days ago wornout
cripple came to see me from the timber
regions, much run down physically
and with his throat in an apparently
gangrenous condition. The prompt,
free use of iodine enabled him to engage
inhis 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 il
every case of diphtheria, to the ex
-clusion Of other constitutional rene.
dies.
| P.S.--For local application, pain
the affected parts in the throat twic,
a day, so long as the white membrane
is not DESTROYED.