Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-01-11
MEDICOs OF TWO STATES.

Illinois Central District Medical
society at port---Diphtherla q
Lesding Topic Discussed----The
Water We Use.
The Iowa and Illinois Central District
Medical association met in the rooms oil
the Business Mems association at Daveu-
port yesterday afternoon. Thel follow
ing physicians were present: Drs. Can't
well, Baker. French. Crawford and Hazen
ofDavenpe-t; Drs. Craig. Plummer. Sr-.
Eyster, Plummer. Jr., and Bernhsrdi, oil
Rock Island. Neither the president or
vice president were in attendance. so DIR.
j. W. II. Baker. of Davenport was
chosen president pro tenn, and G. L..
Egster. of this city. occupied his position
as secretary. The minutes of the last
meeting were read and approved. Drs.
Allen. of Davenport and Dawson, of
Moline. were on. the programme for
papers, but neither of these gentlemen
could be present and their papers were
continued to the next meeting
An interesting paper was read by DR..
J. W. Crawford. of Davenport, on pneu
monis. which was discussed by DR.
Cantwell, OF Davenport, and Drs. Craig
and Eyster. Of this city. DR.. Baker be =
lieved we must resort to the Sgerminal
theory for ell diseases. Pneumonia was
an inhammatory disease. In confirma-
tion of this statement. he instsnced a case
he had number of years ago. A boy
had loose tooth which troubled him and
his mother advised him to pull it out.
The boy pressed one of his fingers against
1t and 1t broke loose from the gums and
flew back into his throat-into the lungs
This resulted in Inflammation of the lung
producing pneumonia from a foreign
body. The tooth was beyond the reach
OF instruments and so the boy was treated
for pneumonia. He passed through the
difhcult stages of The disease and after
twenty-one days had elapsed he died.
He could not see why pneumonia should
not result from cold
DR.. Csntwell opened the discussion on
prevalent diseases He stated that csses
OF sore throat, diphtheris, dlphtheretic
Group and scarlet fever were the most
prevalent in Davenport. Diphtheris
seemed to be proving more fatal lately
than 1t had been. Reports from other
cities In the state afflicted with it showed
that the number of deaths from diph the
lam those cities was increasing Most
of the diphtheris cases reported in Dav.
export. he stated. were from the western
part of the city-where houses were sit
uated on low, wet ground, and where
there was no sewerage. In the past six
months but very few cases had been re.
ported east of Brady street. Occasionally
there are few cases on the heights-but
the houses in which they are, are always
several blocks from each other; while on
the low ground wherever case is res
ported, several more are soon after re
pOhtCu bhC odhlC
damp weather the disease broke out
more. Fewer cases were reported in ex-
treme warm and cold weather The doc
tor then gave his treatment of diphtheria
cases. Turpentine, milk and whisky he
had used with satisfactory results. DR..
Plummer. ST., of this city, stated that
they had but very few cases of diphtberia
here-most of them were cases of sore
throat. In the past six months but sixty
six cases of diphtheris had been reported.
He always found foul water one of the
sources Of diphtheria He believed in
using calomel largely in the treatment of
diphtheria patients. The doctor did not
believe the disease could be attributed to
water supply. He had secured samples
OF water from four hydrants In this CITY
and sent them each-four weeks apart.
to DR.. j. H. Rauch, secretary of the
state board Of health. for analysis. Al
fusion has been made in the ARGUS to
this report, which was submitted to the
city council at its last regular meeting.
The report of the analysis in detail is as
follows: