Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1881-01-17
DIPHTHERIA.

Diphtheria is generated by breathing
impure air, such as comes from damp
apartments, dirty cellars, cutters, sinks,
decaying matters, pools of standing liq-
uids and other sources of filth. 1t is
| usually confined to persons from two to
fifteen years of age. The atmosphere,
the breathing of which causes the disease,
seems to be full of living things, vegeta-
BILE and animal, the bacteria and mico-
coppins, some of which lodge in the
throat and form white splotches, which
are distinctive of the malady, and whose
presence quickly poisons the blood;
hence there should not be a moments de-
lay in sending for physicians, as the
march of the disease is always rapid and
it's virulence increases every hour.
AS with most other diseases, diphtheria
is more likely to attack those whose sys-
TENS have been debilitated by illness,
poor diet, or any cause whatever. Any
irritation of the throat prepares the way
for the disease. Any person affected
should be taken to an upper room, into
which no one should come but those in
perfect health, and who have not the
slightest scratch or sore on any part of
the body, particularly the hands. The
room should be ventilated all the time, all
discharges should be quickly removed,
the clothing frequently changed and at
once covered with water containing car
bolic acid. Diphtheria taken from an
other person is more malignant than when
generated by bad air.
TREATMENT OF DIPHTHERA.
Take from two to five grains of chic
rate of potash, put it far back on the
tongue, allow it to melt gradually, and
repeat every hour until decided i'm
provement takes place, which is usually
in few hours. One of the best plans of
treatment is the following:
GARGIE.
Chlorate of potassa, 2 drachms; hot
water, ounces; alcohol, drachms;
creosote, drops; muriatic iacid, 30
drops. This is to be used as a gargle
every thirty minutes.
INTERNALLY USE THE FOLLOWING REMEDY.
Chlorate of potassa, 8 drachms; water
ounces; sugar l ounce; tincture OF
muriate of iron, 2 drachms. D0se.-A
teaspoonful every four hours.
1t is claimed that the above treatment
will cure nineteen cases out of twenty.
The principal point is to find out what
will destroy the bacteria.
Tannin will kill them in two hours. A
solution of copperas, that is, sulphate OF
iron, will kill them; also chlorine water
and dilute muriatic, sulphuric and nitric
acids If copperas is used as gargle, it
should not be used stronger than piece
half as large as nutmeg, dissolved In
pint of water; or level teaspoonful Of
tannin dissolved in teaspoonful of warm
water; but it is better to rely on chic
rine washes above named; and it would
be safe plan, should any member Of
family have diphtheria, for each of the
others to gargle the mouth every hour
with chlorine solution.
Instead of using solutions, few grains
of either chlorate of potash, tannic acid
or copperas, known as sulphate OF iron,
may be placed dry, far back on the tongue
to dissolve gradually and spread over the
surfaces. 1t is more simple method OF
applying these remedies, and would be
more likely to reach farther down the
throat and to remain longer in contact
with the diseased surfaces than when ap-
piled in gargles or swallowed.
These remedies are powerful to cure in
proportion to the promptness with which
they are used.-HdlFS Journal Of Health.