Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-06-21
ABOUT DiPHTHERIA.
Several observation-disclosures Instances OF
Its Communication.

| Several Well-Authenticated Instances OF
Its Communication.
DR.. Young, secretary of the State
Board of Health. says there is a misap-
prehension in the public mind regard
ing the contagiousness of diphtheria.
The direct communication of the dis
ease is shown by a young lady who
came home sick with diphtheria in a
mild form, and on her arrival her
brothers and sisters embraced her.
They were all attacked with a malig-
nant type of diphtheria, and one died.
The same young lady visited an aunt
in another family where there were
four children who took the same dis
ease, and one died.
Another instance. At the death of a
child from diphtheria two women
helped in laying it out. One of them,
who was fifty-three years of age. was
attacked IN a few days. and died in
three more, and the other took the dis
ease in a mild form and recovered.
Another case is that of 4 boy who had
1iphtheria in Boston. He came To this
State to visit relatives In few days
after his arrival his aunt washed some
of his clothing, and was taken with
diphtheria the next week and it went
through the family, four cases. Be-
fore 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 case as fol-
lows: An only child was taken sick
with diphtheria and died on the fourth
day. The young mother in her grief
kissed the child and took the disease.
Within a week she was buried beside
the child.
In neighborhood where no diph-
theria had existed for four years u
school teacher visited city-a notori-
Gus hot-bed of diphtheria. He con-
tracted what he called slight sore
throat. He returned home with this
still upon him and opened school; in
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 up in her lap upon
going home. She was admonished
against such foolhardy course. Ten
house the physician was called
and found her family i'll with
diphtheria of tie most fatal
form. One child died in thirty-six
hours after it was attacked. Another
Casa woman-died of diphtheria in
Lynn. Mass. Her son brought her
clothes and bedding home. His wife
washed them and 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 diphtheria, are in
Vulnerable, and at the same time there
are endless instances in which diph-
liberia has not been communicated TO
others exposed to it. This does not
prove that the disease is not contagious.
All persons are not susceptible to the
infection. He says another thing
which makes the infection of diphtheria
doubly dangerous is its persistent
vitality. Unless care in disinfecLing be
taken, the infection will survive to
start mysteriously another epidemic at
some future time, months, or perhaps
years afterward, like the following: A
boy visited family in Eastport. where
there was case of diphthcria. Upon
his return home his sister. aged
sixteen, took the disease and died in
three days. Six months afterward,
another sister came from Massachusetts
and occupied the room which had been
the sick room. She took the diphtheria
and died after five weeks sickness
Lesoistoas (Me.) Journal.