The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1882-10-26
ike ordinary thin lymph or mu-

1t now occurred 10 LIT. Sayro
that if, from the first stages of
the formation of the false mem-
brane, q bot and bumid atmos-
pbere could be kept in contact
with it, it would remain ~ soluble
as in the aforementioned case, and
be easily elected through the
nose and mouth, like common
mucous.
Several means OF procuring this
contact suggest themselves. The
well-known plan Of Inhalation
from The spout Of Il tea-kettle, and
the ordinary vapor.batb, are
among these. But the former is
evidently irnpracticable with those
; Young children who are the most
frequent sufferers trom diphthe-
ria. They cannot be made 10
keep their mouths in the position
over the narrow steam surface Of
a kettle. The vapor bath is re.
laxing to the general system, and
cannot be thought Of in a case
which, like diphtberia, requires
every tonic aud stimulsnt that
can be made available. Moreover,
it would be mapitestIy impossi-
BILE to continue The patient in 3
vapor bath through period as
long as the membrane is accum.
ulating.
DR.. Sayre finally adopted this
method Having put the patient
in a tightly-shut room, he bad q
hat-iron heated to as near the
white heat as possible. He sus-
pended it over.a pail in the sick
room, and kept the attendants
pouring water on it till it ceased
to evaporate every drop that
came in contact with it. Al soon
as the iron was cooled down TO
such a degree that any surplus of
#atoF remained unevaporlzed, he
replaced it with one freshly
heated. He thus kept the
room as full of steam as was
consistent with comfortable brea-
thing, and at a temperature
Of 80 degrees Fahrenheit. This
process was continued for several
hours, during which not only the
reshly-sloughed membrane was
constantly being expelled in liquid
form through the nose and
mouth, but the membrane pre-
viously indurated in the trachea
became soluble, and was elected
in like manner. Meanwhile, be
kept up the strength OF the pa
tient by the above referred to
means Of beef:tea and brandy.
The result of this treatment was
entire expulsion of the slough.
and, eventually, the complete
| cure of a case which bad previous
ly been abandoned as too des,
perate for even the dernier opera.
tion of trachiotomy.
| Undoubtedly the means ofevsp'
oratiou for this purpose will here,
after be siuplifed by the dis
covery of the method. He has
plans at present under consldera'
tion by which the process may 60
on independently Of the laborious
and sometimes unreliable co.opera'
! tion of attendants. Still, it IS now
8 fixed fact that VS. have made
the great and conclusive step to
wards a certain cure of diphthe
ria. Also, that we owe that fixed
fact to DR.. Sayre.
The utmost care Of the patient
| for weeks after the Immediately
dangerous symptoms have disap
peared is necessary to prevent s
subsistence into the diphtberlt
state. Even where there is Ee
return of the sloughing tendency
the general prostration of the sys
tenn is usually so extreme, thai
the most nourishing tonics anc
stimulant treatment are called fol
; to ward off naturally supervening
attack of typhoid, or low, nervous
fever, rapid decline, or chronic
debility. There is, perhaps, ne
form of disease known to the
: children's practitioner in which
skiIIful hygiene and home treat
ment is more imperatiVely de
, manded to follow up and perpet
uale the results OF medical effort
, If possible, the greatest care mus
also be taken during the perlot
, of fe,id discharges to separate th'
remaining children of family
from the diseased one; for, as VI
have above observed, this stage o
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