Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-04-17
DIPHTHERIA.
re- Peculiar Character and Dangerous
Prosress-Row to Detect IL.

and anxiety than dlphtheria, Diseases
ot The throat are as old as the human fam
Nv mutt was not until about balfaceutury
~ AGO thatthe word diphtheria wasaPplied
~ designate the disease of the hroat. so
nsculiar in its character and so danger
ans IN It's progress. The word diphtheria
e If Greek origin and of French intro
drction. 1t literally means "the prepar-
~ skin of an animal;' and the term was
4 sncgested to designate this terrible mala-
AZ from the fact that 1t is constantly OBJ
rived. when the disease makes it's ar
pearsrce. that il is always accompanied
! Is tha formation of white skin. or false
membrane, upon the inside of the throat.
4 and this skin is thrown of in successive
iavers or leaves. 1t is, therefore, for the
r.sson that false membranes or white
T.tcbes are formed, thrown OFT and apaiu
4 IanrOduced within the throat that the
& Term dphtheria is now applied and ex-
+ cnsiyey used to indicate a malady so Sc
n we're. pronounced and terrible as this dis
ease usually is. The cause of the disease.
IKE that Of smallpox or scarlet fever, is
n qtnospherical, and, like those diseases.
NAV he local in a neighborhoOd or general
in a city: and human intelligence IS lust
es ignorant of the primitive cause Of diph-
N iberia as it is of that of smallpox. 1t
N arises from a specific poison taken into
"a the lungs through the medium of the air
81 and this poison is so hidden that neither
n the human senses nor chemistry can de-
b teCt it.
Fl 1t has no premonitOry symptoms to
Il mark It's invasion, but begins at once.
ii and variesin duration from forty-eight
81 hours to one, two OF three weeks. Those
cases that get well usually show signs OF
81 recovery about the last OF the first or De-
81 ginning of the second week, and each case
becomes a type of its own, varied and va
rng inaccOrdance with the personal or
Il r0..ca constitution of the individuals
& cracked. All ages aresusceptible of the
& disease, but it is most prevalent among
those under ten years of age, that is,
among children and infants. 1t makes
4 ltsattacks sometimes violently, sometimes
nsid0iusly, and in some cases it is so Sc
4 cret in its onset that the little patient is
8 beyond relief before the presence of the
disease is even suspected by the parentor
guardian of the child. These are far from
being exceptional cases; and when the
child shows the slightest complaint Of the
throat, the disease should be carefully
n booked for; and these examinations be re-
peated two OF three times a day as long
as the child complains Of its throat, for
frequently in the short space of a few
hours the false membrane or white patch
"a Is OF diphtherla are so rapidly formed as
extend almost at once into the wind
#pipe and choke the child to death. When
#diphtherIa kiIlsit is either from the i'm
mediate depressing effect Of the poison of
the disease upon the nervous system, or
+. from the extensive inflammation and Ill
ceTatiOn of the throat, leading to immedi-
late or gradual sutfOcation and death. The
symptoms which should lead parent TO
Suspect his child to be 'Sgettifg diDhthe-
rim are, that the child is dun, languid,
uneasy, and slightly feverish. Its face is
usually pale and detected, and If noticed,
some pain will be manifested in the effort
. joswallow. II the child is old enough to
pax 1t VIII be apt to say, sit hurts me to
sWallOw," and if the inside Of the throat
b. now examined, it will be found to be
nnatu-ally red and swollen; and if
81 white patches, however small, are observ-
ed on the tonstls and on the sides Of the
nroat, the parent may safely conclude
PCS child has Giphtheria, and should there
fore be informed how best to care for it,
for such are often the only symptoms that
indicate the presence of this terrible and
piten unmanageable disease. When
hese apparently slight manifestations Of
disease make their appearance, few par
ents regard them with anything more
han an ordinary concern, little thinking
hat they denote the presence of a disease
hat, in the space of a few hours or days,
may place their darlings in the Jaws of
Heath, for it is lamentable fact that
many children are in hopeless condition
with this disease before their parents
think them at all sick. Therefore, let me
repeat, for the sake Of impressing upon
he minds of parents, the almost symp-
Omless approach OF diphtheria, that when
child appears dull, languid, slightly fe-
#Ferish and drOwsy, and complains of pain
nthe ear and uneaSiness about the throat.
pr manlfests the slightest difficulty in
swallowing, let the throat be examined
carefully on the inside, and if the parent
pr nurse observes the tRnsils to be red
pad swollen, with white patches here and
here about the throat, they may conclude
certainly that the child is not getting but
already has diphtheria, and is in more or
less danger of all its terrible and rapid
<fonsequences, and should at once give 1t
Pill the care that a rational sOlicitude can
tPuggest The disease is insldiOus in it's
nvasi0n, insidious in its progress, and
nsldl0us in its termination, and is only
old in its destructive effects upon the
hroat, and no parent can be too watehful
the care of a child when attacked by
lis malady.
ITS TREATMENT.
On the first appearance Of symptoms of
DIS disease piece of flannel must be
wrapped around the throat, and the child
raced IN room, the temperature of
men should not be less than go degrees.
ne AR OF the room should be kept at this
enperature. The child may be allowed
y usual diet and amusements of the
uIsefy, but must not be permitted TO
cave the room under any pTeteXt, even
lew moments, until the inside of the
nloat mas returned TO its natural cOndi-
ana let it be distinctly understood
lat unless child suffering from diph-
ieI RIA Is thus early restricted to an equa-
W. temperature very little hope of good
an oe entertained from the action OF mere
heulelne' The only medicines worthy Of
~ tsDghlest respect in the treatment Of
are IOdide of potash and chic
M wv OF potash, and these are the only
eulclnes for the use of which, in this
easei rational reason can be given.
meuiclnes usually prescribed for this
'oase are Of doubtful utility, tentative
ppIcauOn, dubious in effect, emplri-
~. "a use, and difficult TO administer,
MhIIig no claim to prescription save that
Yg5lug ordinary tonies, and should only
,fNen as such. 1t is not 50 with the
Si Iu Oh combination Of chlorate and
l .ee ol potash, for il is well ascertain
.n u these two medicines, better tnan
vlher known 70 medical men, have
IAN etn, ana positive influence over disea-
N.Y. tue glands of the throat and the
Jus membrane Of the mouth, and for
.easoh every common sense cOnclu-
u polnts 10 them as the medicines most