The Portland daily press., 1886-07-23
Is Diphtheria Contagious ?
-pr. A. G. Young in the Somerset Reporter J

| (Dr. A G. Young in the Somerset Reporter)
A correct answer to this question is of the
utmost sanitary Importance. If it is COM
municable disease clear comprehension Of
this fact leads one to guard as much as pos
sible against the spread Of the disease and
to demand that his neighbor shall have a
like regard for the safety of others.
The following history of local outbreak
of diphtheria is given as an Illustration Of
how the disease may be spread
In the family of A a child was sick with
mild form of diphtheria. During the sick
ness of the A child, visited the house. In
a few days BIS four children came down with
the disease and all died. Mrs. B also had
the disease, but recovered. The families of
G, d and were relatives of B, and the adult
members were at the house of B during the
sickness of his children and also at the fun
eral. The disease appeared in C's family in
a short time, one day later in the family Of
d, and a week later in that of E. In C's
family there were five children, all Of whom
had the disease, and two died. In the d
family there were also five children, and
here two died. In the Z family, four chill
dren and a servant girl were all attacked at
the same time, but all recovered except one
child. attended many of the funerals, and
his family suffered next, but the children all
recovered. daughter of Mrs. G visited the
children of F while they were sick, and took
the disease aid died. HIS boy also visited
at the F's during the sickness and had the
disease. Mr. rs boy visited at the F's at the
same time, and three of that family took the
disease, with two fatal cases. lives oppo-
site to Mrs G. Aniece living with him had
the disease, but recovered.
| These cases occurred within a period Of
about two months.
In the report of the State Board of Health
many interesting cases showing the conta-
| giousness of diphtheria are given. A few Of
these are quoted here:
'E. E., aged fourteen, was severely attack
| ed and died on the seventh day. On the
| fifth and sixth days after the onset Of the
| disease the mother and three sisters were at
| tackled and one sister died. A nurse who
cared for the little girl on the night OF her
death was attacked with diphtheria hve
| days later.
I'm April, 1881, boy ten or. twelve years
| of age, who had had diphtheria in Boston,
came here to visit some relatives; de went
first to stay with his aunt. On FRIDAY OIL the
| week in which he came she washed some OIL
| his clothing. The next week she was taken
| with diphtheria and it went through the
| family, four cases. Before the aunt was
taken sick the boy went to an uncle,s where
| he played with another boy. about his own
| age. This boy also had diphtheria, and there
were three cases in that family.
|. "a family living in Cambridge, Mass,
having the disease, were strictly isolated
and the great fear of diphtheria among
those surrounding them as neighbors, as
well as those sought as nurses, made IL
necessary for a sister of the. gentleman
whose family was SICK. to go from MAINE
| 20 oil In fOr unfortunate faml-
ly. Two, who fell victims to 1t, died,
and one recovered. Three weeks from
the time of the recovery of the last patient,
and after the most scrupulous care had been
exercised in disinfectinS the house and the
| surviving persons, the sister returned to
Maine, she having one, daughter thirteen
years of age, strong and healthy, whom she
had left at home. Diphtheria had not been
known in that section of the State for long
time. but five days from the return Of the
mother the daughter fell i'll and died Of the
disease after brief sickness; no other cases
succeeded it. Is it not fair and logical to say
the mother brought in her clothing from
Massachusetts, the germs OF the disease
which caused diphtheria in the chlldY
Medical and sanitary literature are so full
of the reports of cases which just as con-
vincingly as these give positive testimony
to the contagiousness of diphtheria that it is
time that the people of our State had passed
that educational stage which prompts, even
from the generally well informed, the oft re-
peated question: ''Doctor, do you really
think that diphtheria is eontagious" We
can answer positively that we known that it
is contagious, and we might add that it is
high time that the experimentation at tho
expense of the lives of the innocents which a
careless public have been carrying on should
cease.
Not another experiment of this kind Is
needed to show that diphtheria is danger
ously contagious disease, and knowing TINS
we know that its rayages may be restricted.
Detailed directions for helping to do this are
given in a circular published by the Board
which will be sent on application.