Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-11-26
lancaster .gntelIigentrr.
MONDAY rvnNINo. NOV. 20. 1888.
pAUrS ABOUT DIPHTBEKIA.

eFDc
rse Esnssess Of rhs Dise~se TO the rgyp
Philadelphia Timcs.
About the year 900 A. ID. Are,nus, o
physician of Cappadocis, observed q GER
tain nsIady Of the throat, to which he
gave the name Of the Egyptian ulcer"
or these he said Such "a are clean,
small, superficial, without pain and with.
out Inflammation, are mild but such ~,
are broad, hollow, foul and covered with n
white, Iivid or black conoretion, are pesti-
lential" This and it's context has given
rise TO an opinion held by some that the
condition which attracted the attention Of
this observer was the disease now known
as diphtheria, n word of Greek derivation,
used TO signify covered, rs by mem.
braue," and first applied to the condition
In question in the early part Of the pres
ent century by M. Bretonneau, cele
brated French physician. Ia the early
part of the sixteenth century certain
Spanish and Italian physicians described
the "morbus suffocans with which they
frequently had to deal, and which proba-
bly, was that form of diphtheria In which
the false membrane is exuded into the air
passages. Lastly, Fothergill, an English
physician, described, about the middle OF
throat" which il as good an account OF
diphtheria has since been written.
Now, although this disease has been
noticed by physicians FOR centuries, yet to
this day none are able to say certainly
from whence IL came or what brought it.
II is, however, probable that the symp
toms of dipbtheria follow only when an
individual has received into the system a
quantity Of microscopic plant named by
scientists the "Diphtheritic Micrococous.
This plant is believed to exist everywhere,
even in the human mouth aud throat and
when these Tissues become iutlamed the
micrococic pass most easily into the blood,
upon which they feed aud multiply rapidly
and thus produce the symptoms Of the
disease.
Sore threat, under any circumstances, is
very vexatious complaint, but the sore
throat of diphtheria is very much more
distressing than that ordinarily expcrienc
ed, and on account of the pain caused by
the swallowing, the patient is very liable
to avoid food and drink and medicine as
well, and quickly falls into a PROSTATE
condition, tor which the abstinence and
blood poisoning just mentioned will readily
account. This circumstance makes 1t
desirable that tho maximum amount OF
liquid food should be administered to the
patient in every possible way. A notable
proportion of diphtheritic patients are
quite young, circumstance which tends
to make tic result of the case much more
doubtful, from the simple fact that these
patients are not only unable to assist in the
efforts made for their relief, but sometimes
resist, aud thus the best directed efforts
may be defeated.
In some cases the diphtheritic deposit
takes place in the air passages, This
event is Indicated by hoarseness and other
changes in the voice, or the voice may be
entirely suppressed. This is a most omi
nous occurrence Bleeding from the nose
or mouth aud persistent sick stomach also
bode no good to the patient.
What effect atmospheric conditions
have in the production Of diphtheria is
undetermined, the disease having been
observed at all seasons aud III all latitudes.
Diphtheria and all other infectious diseases
are alike in one respect at least namely,
that those persOus who are cODstitutionally
weak and those who from any cause are
deblitated are most liable to be attacked,
and in such cases the result is most likely
TO be bad. For the reason Just given 1t is
desirable for all who are exposed 10 the
poison of diphtheria to mair tain the gem
eral health in as high state as possible
by a liberal diet, personal aud general
cleanliness and by taking the regular aud
natural rest.
1t is probable that by changing the nurse
every twelve hours in this and similar dis
eases the patients would receive better
care aud the risks of poisoning on tie palt
of the attendants would thereby be mater
tally diminished. The treatment of dip
iberia must be left exclusively to the phys
ician, who should be called early and biz
directions followed implicitly Any person
who attempts to treat case Of this disease
without an adequate idea Of the gravity OF
the situation or OF the means which are
best calC ulated to benefit the patients as
sumes great responsibility. But after all
some will be destroyed by the disease when
nothing has been spared. The persons
who do ultimately recover from this dis
ease are apt to have very prOtractedcOn
valesence, during which local palsiesr are
frequently noticed. Defects of sight aud
hearing are also very common under these
circumstances. Occasionally it happens
that those who appear about to recover
have relapse of ths disease, circum-
stance whose outlook is worse If possible
than Of the original attack. sud en- death
during convalesCenCe from diphtheTia has
frequently happened and is believed TO be
due to an affection Of the heart resulting
from the disease.
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