Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-07-05
DlPHTHER 4.
Several Startling Irsrances of its Com
mum cation.

DR.. Young. secretary of the Maine
state board Of health. SAYS there is a
misrepresentation in The public mind
regarding the conta robustness of
diphthe1.ia The direct communica-
ton of the disease is shown by a Young
lady who came home sick with
diphtheria in mild form. and on her
arrival her brothers and sisters en-
braeed her. They were attacked with
malignant type of diphtheria, and
one died. The same Young lady visited
her aunt in another farlily where there
were four children who took the
disease. and one died. No other cases
in the vicinity.
Another instance: At the death of a
child from diphtheria two women
helped in laying it out One of them,
who was - years of age was attacked
in a few days, and died IN three more,
and the other took the disease in Il mild
form and recovered. Another case is
that of boy who had diphtheria in
Boston He came 70 this state to visit
relatives In few days after his
arrival his aunt washed some of MS
clothing. and was taken with d;phtiiGFia
the next week, and it went through the
family, four cases. Before the aunt
was taken sick the boy went to another
place and played with another boy,
who took the diphtheria and gave it to
two other persons in that family.
The doctor reports a sad ease as fol
lows: An only child was taken sick
with diphtheria and died on the fourth
day. The Young mother in her griet
kissed the child and took the disease.
Within a week she was buried beside
her child.
In a neighborhood where no diph-
liberia had existed for four years, a
school-teacher visited city-a notori-
Gus hotbed of diphtheria. He con.
tracted what he called slight sore
throat. He returned home with this
still upon him and opened school; in
less than week six were lying sick
with diphtheria and the school was
closed. The result was five deaths,
three of which were adults.
In one family three children died OF
this disease in the croupous form. The
nurse believed it was not possible to
carry the disease in clothing. and
would not change her dress upon leav-
ING the house, and was not afraid to
take her children in her lap upon 60
ing home. She was admonished
against such foolhardy course. Ten
days after she left the infected house
| the physician was called and found her
family i'll with diphtheria Of the most
| fatal form. One child died in thirty
six hours after twas attacked. Another
case. A woman died of diphtheria in
Lynn, Mass. Her son brought her
clothes and bedding home. His wife
| washed them, took the disease, and
died in less than q week.
The doctor says that cases like these,
which Enthusiastically show the con-
tagious nature of diptheria, are in
Vulnerable, and at the same time there
are endless instances in which diph-
| iberia has not been communicated to
others exposed to it. This does not
prove that the disease is not contagious.
All persons are susceptible to the in
lection. He says another thing which
makes the infection of diphtheria
doubly dangerous is its persistent
vitality. Unless care in disinfecting
| be taken, the infection will survive to
start mysteriOusly another epidemic al
some future time, months, or perhaps
years, afterward, like the following;
A boy visited family in PASSPORT,
where there was a case Of diphtheria.
He took the disease in light form and
recovered. Upon his return home his
sister, aged Is, took the disease and
died in three days. Six months after
| ward, another sister came home from
| Massachusetts and OcruDipd the room
| which had been the sick room. She
took the diphtheria and died after five
! weeks illness.