The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1890-09-04

VI LuCoS tleouCo duO Slfo ileC W luo o4o'
ease symptoms. They enter the body
by means of wounds, with the food,
water and air. They leave the body
along with the excretions, and if the
con ditions are favorable enter the body
of another animal of the same kind,
when the characteristic symptoms of the
disease again develop. In the strictly
contagious diseases the germ does not
multiply in the soil, water and other
media outside the animal body, but lies
dormant until taken into the body of q
susceptible subject. In infectious dis
eases the germ grows and multiplies in
suitable media (soil, water. etc., outside
the animal body, and thus finds its way
indirectly from animal to animal. 1t is
thus seen that au animal contracts a
contagious disease usually by coming in
immediate contact With diseased ami
mails.
As an example of such disease CLAN.
ders may be mentioned. This contagi-
GUS disease found most frequently in
horses and mules The germ of CHAMBERS
develops and multiplies in the body and
gives rise to the symptoms of the disease.
The animal has high fever, the lynn.
phatic glands under thejaw swell and a
nasal discharge appears. This discharge
contains the virus of the disease, thus
making it the means of the communicat-
ing the disease to other animals. As
examples of infectious diseases may be
mentioned typhoid fever in man, Texas
fever in cattle and tetanus. Here the
disease germs are not obtained direct
from sick animals, but from the soil,
water, etc. It was not until recently
supposed that tetanus was an infectious
disease. Psychological Investigation
has shown, however, that the exciting
cause Of the disease is living organism
that grows in the wound. This organism
exists in the soil and is conveyed into
the wound at the time of its Infection or
enters afterwards. The germ of tetanus
is abundant in the soil of warm countries,
warmth being favorable to the growth of
low forms of life. This explains why
the disease is more prevalent here than
in Northern States. The disease can be
e1perimentally produced by putting a
little earth containing the germ under
the skin of q mouse. I have several
times at our laboratory in the University
at Columbia produced the disease in
mice by inoculating them with a little
soil from the University grounds. Such
soil if conveyed into horses foot by q
nail would produce case of lockjaw.
THE BEST PLACE FOR THE GERM.
The germ of tetanus grows best in
deep wound and it is for this reason that
puuctured wounds are the. most danger.
Gus. During the growth of the organ
iams substance is produced which acts
upon the system as q poison and gives
rise to the spasms which characterize the
disease. To sum up, We may say'that
tetanus is an infectious disease, produced
by living germs which get into the wound
at ths time it is made OF are introduced
later.
THE MEANS OF PREVENTION.
Knowing the cause, prevention is easy.
All wounds should be disinfected as soon
after they occur as possible. As disin.
fectiug solution, corrosive sublimate,
one part to one thousand of water, or
carbolic acid, one part to fifty of water,
may be used. The wound should be
kept wet with the solution for several
minutes so as to effectually destroy all
bacteria that may have gotten into it.
All punctured wounds should be opened
so that the solution can get to the very
bottom of the wound. Punctured wounds
of the feet require the most careful treat
ment. The opening in the sole made by
the nail or other penetrating object
should be at once enlarged sufficiently
to allow the deep portion of the wound
to be thoroughly disinfected. It should
then be plugged with cakeum or jute,
and bandsge tied over the entire foot.
Ifkept perfectly dry the wound will be
we'll in few days. Wounds treated in
this way will never be followed by
tetanus. This treatment applies to all
animals, including man. By disinfect-
ing all wounds, not only is tetanus pre-
vented, but blood poisoning and supper
alton are obviated. Wounds, after being
disinfected and dressed in such way as
to prevent the entrance of bacteria, heal
rapidly without suppuratiDg. In regard
to the treatment Of tetanus, but little
need be said. Most cases terminate
fatally. Many drugs have the power Of
relaxing the contracted muscles, but as
soon as the effect of the medicine passes
of the spasms return with even greater
severity. Mild cases sometimes recover
if kept in very quiet place and the
strength kept up by giving such food as
the patient can eat. The disease should
be prevented instead of cured, and when
the way of prevention becomes more
generally known cases of the disease will
be of much rarer occurrence.
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