Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1891-12-18
HOW DISEASE SPREADS.
DIPHTHERIAC COMMUNICATED IN MANY
UNSUSPECTED WAYS.

The Easy Propagation of the Terrible
Malady by documentary Contact with In
fected Persons or Surroundings-Expo-
sure from Pet Animals.
The extreme contagiousness of diphtheria
is well known. A moments exposure to a
child suffering from it, even in the mildest
form, or in a room infected by a patient
weeks or months previously or to objects
infected by being in the room occupied by
the patient, or to garments or objects in
fected by being worn or handled by him
while sick, has in numberless instances
communicated the disease. The diphtheria
virus adheres SO tenaciously to infected
persons or objects that they often commu-
nicate diphtheria at distance from the
source of the infection, and when there is
no suspicion of danger Thus child with
fatal diphtheria, seen by me in consulta
ton, apparently contracted the disease by
embracing playmate, who was in the
street for the first time after an attack OF
the malady.
A French medical journal has called at
tention to the fact that resident PHYSICIANS
and nurses in diphtheria wards, whose
by the diphtheritic germs, are very liable to
communicate the disease, unless they con-
stantly employ precautionary measures.
Thus the shawl of nurse sent to the house
of a friend introduced diphtheria into the
family.
Many children have diphtheria so mild
ly that they do not complain of being sick,
have some appetite and are not confined to
their homes. Hence, diphtheria is often
contracted from these mild cases in public
conyeyances and in places of public resort.
DANGER IN SCHOOLS.
In the outdoor department at Bellevue
have often seen children with diphtheria
sitting among other children waiting their
turn for treatment. These children with
mild diphtheria. taking their meals regu
larry, though with poor appetite, and hav
ing SO little fever that it is not noticed, are
often sent by their unsuspecting parents to
the public and private schools, and there
communicate diphtheria, frequently of a
malignant and fatal form, to their class
mates l have been able to trace attacks
of diphtheria not only to the public and
private week day schools, but also to the
Sunday schools, and especially to the mis-
sion schools designed for tenement house
children.
1t is now known that several animals,
even those that are pets in the nursery, are
liable to be attacked by diphtheria. In
deed, this has been proved, as we have
seen, in the laboratories, for bacteriolo
gists investigating the nature of diphtheria
have in numberless instances communi
Gated the genuine disease to animals by in
oculating them with cultures of the Klebs
Loeffler bacillus.
1t is very important that parents should
know that milk, the common food of the
nursery, is a culture medium of the diph
theritic germ. The specific bacillus fall
ing into the milk in handling at the farm
house or elsewhere grows and multiplies
in it. Mr.. Cole, veterinary surgeon Of
Australia, published in the Australian
Veterinary Journal, February, 1882, the
history of an epidemic of diphtheria that
was traced to the use of milk from dis
eased COW.
DANGER IN MILK AND CATS.
The London Medical Times and Gazette
for January, 1879, states that Mr.. w. H.
Power, a health inspector, investigated an
outbreak of diphtheria and obtained sufs-
Gent evidence, in his opinion, that it was
caused by the use of milk that contained
the diphtheritic germs. The cows that
furnished the milk had what the veterina
ry surgeons designate garget or infectious
mammits.
1t is evident from the above observations
and facts that the utmost pains should be
taken to obtain milk designed for the
nursery from u healthy source, and to pre-.
vent its subsequent infection. We may
also anticipate our remarks on the proven
ton of diphtheria by stating that milk de
signed for the nursery should always be
subjected to the prolonged action of heat
near the boiling point, which destroys ali
patho2enic germs. l invariably direct
that it be steamed in or over boiling water
two hours as soon as possible after les re
ception.
Klein has made experiments showing the
identity of feline and human diphtheria
though diphtheria in the cat presents some
anatomical characters different from those
in man, and the following observations APP.
pear to show that it is sometimes commu.
nicated by this pet of the nursery to the
children that fondle it:
The Medical Press and Circular, June 4,
1890. states that DR.. Lawrence reports two
cases under his care in which diphtheris
seems to have been communicated by cats
In the first case, that of little girl, a care
full inquiry showed that she had not been
exposed to any patient with diphtheria
although this disease was prevailing with
in a mile of the patients residence, but
that she had nursed a sick cat some days
previously. The cat died soon after, and
second cat became sick and was killed.
DANGER IN FARM ANIMALS.
Further inquiry disclosed the fact that a
neighboring farmer had lost seventeen cats
and another farmer fifteen cats from 8
throat distemper One of the farmers
stated that he had examined the Threats OF
some of the cats and found them covered
with white membrane.
Observations show that the feathered
tribe are especially liable to diphtheria
On the island of Skiathos, off the north
eastern coast of Greece, no diphtheria had
occurred during at least thirty years pre-
viously to 1884, according to Dr. Bid, the
medical practitioner of the island.
In 1884 a dozen turkeys were introduced
from Salonica. Two of them were sick at
the time and died soon afterward. The
others became affected soon afterward, and
of the whole number seven died, three re-
covered and two were sick at the time OF
the inquiry. These two had difficult
breathing, swelling of the glands of the
neck and pseudo membrane extending to
the larnyX. As further evidence that the
disease was diphtheria, one of the turkeys
that survived had paralysis of the feet.
The turkeys were in garden upon the
north side of the town, and the prevailing
winds upon the island are from the north.
When this sickness was occurring among
the turkeys an epidemic of diphtheria be
gan in the houses in proximity to the gar
den and spread through the town. 1t
lasted five months, and of 125 individuals
attacked by diphtheria in a population of
1000 thirty-six died. From this time diph-
liberia has been established on the island,
and frequent epidemics of it have occurred.
DIR. J. Lewis Smith in Babyhood.