Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-04-09
DIPTHERIA'S HAVOC.
Repsrt OF the New York State Board
Of Health-Important Facts BE.
garding the Prevalence
OF Dreaded soourKe Suggestions OF
Vital Interest to Everybody-Neoss-
sity of Observation-Disclosures

New York Tribune.
The annual report Of the state board OF
health presents some important facts re-
gsrding the prevalence of diphtherla-the
most important OF the zymotic diseases.
Probably few persons are aware Of the
extent OF the havoc worked by this
scourge. For three years past almost
exactly one-third of all the mortality from
contagious diseases has been due to it,
and during the past year the percentage
showed q slight increase. During the
winter months it sometimes reaches
nearly one-hslf the mortality under this
head. The total number of deaths from
diptheria has been increasing during the
past three years, being 1900 out Of so, 400
in 1885, $500 out of $4,000 in 1886, and
during the twelve months ending Decem-
Der l, 1887, 627l out OF SO, 500.
IT'S DEsTRUCTIvENEss.
1t Is more destructive than diarrhesl
diseases, which, in summer, cause two
thirds Of the deaths from zymotic dis
eases. It was especially prevalent dur
ing last autumn, causing ~ 2 per cent. of
the deaths from Zymotic diseases, but did
not reach the grim average of the pre-
ceding wiz ter, whenit caused no less than
II per cent. of such deaths. Practically
the same state Of things exists in north
ern states generally, and IN the northern
countries Of Europe.
Investigations are steadily in progress
in all countries so afflicted as to the
of restricting 1t. These all point to the
g.. hn Of ha
disease is due to the presence Of filth In
some form. Epidemics in villages and
small towns, where the sanitary condi-
lions are more easily determined than in
the large cities, have demonstrated this
so often that 1t hardly needs to be proved.
Anything which poisons air or water may
be set down as cause OF diphther q,
and recent cases have even brought
milk within the category of the
agents of contagien. Lack Of
drainage, AID the contamination of wells
and cellars by leaking cesspools, are
among the most obvious causes OF coRts-
gion. But there are others quite as dan
gerous, which are commonly supposed to
be harmless. The board reports that
there is too great an Indifference to the
dsrger from kitchen wastes, which is
quite as great as from more offensive &C
foundations. The New Jersey board Of
health has also directed attention strong
ly to neglected cellars as cause OF diph
iberia. This is point of great Import
ance, for the air in the cellar will surely
ind it's way up into the house. Avigilant
cleanliness is the best preventive OF diph-
iberia.
NECESSITY OF ISOLATION.
The board reports that the experience
of the past year has made the necessity OF
isolation in the treatment of the disease
more apparent than ever. All the evil
dence tends increasingly to snow that the
germs of the disease may be carried by
persons in good health, who have been in
contact with the sick, that they find place
in clothing, bedclothes and aIl other fab
RIGS, adhere to the walls, and wherever
they settle retain their power for mischief
for 8 considerable time. II the patient is
properly isolated, these germs will die in
time, or can be dest. Dyed by fumigstion
after the patients recovery and removal.
The board recommends that the isolation
should be for long time, at least until
entire recovery from sore throat.
A special evil is the too early return OF
children to school after an attsck. In
these two Observation-Disclosures and iso-
lstion-the sole hope seems to lie against
the spread Of diphtheria. A notable in
stance Of the effective use Of isolation and
disinfection on large scale has been sf-
forded in Michigan. The state board OF
health enforced this policy in 1l6 out
breaks in 1886, in which there were SO:
cases and seventy-fye deaths. but in 1e.
outbreaks, where no restrictive measures
were taken, there were 1850 cases and 81!
deaths. This is sufficient to show tbe
when diphtheria has actually broken out
its ravages can be much diminished by .
stern quarantine.