Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-03-06
TO PREVENT AND CURE plPHrHskIA
DIR. c. G. II. Kioph-l OF Chicago Tells Of
His Treatment.

An interesting essay on the preven--
tion and cure of diphtheria by DR.. G.
G. b. Klophel of Chicago has appeared
| In the Toronto Mail. 1t proceeds up-
on the lines of the germ theory OF dis
ease in which Pastenr and Koch seem
| TO have met with signal success. Tho
essay derives unusual interest at the
present time from the fact that DR..
Koch after completing his experiments
! in the treatment of consumption de-
clares his intention of experimenting
! in the same manner with diphtheria
and the germs that cause it.
Dir. Kophel in his essay reviews
sanitary precautions in ancient times
and the ravages of diphtheria in vari-
Gus countries. He pronounces it an
acute. infectious, parasitic disease.
"Where thorough modern scientific
dsnfection is carried out in connec<
ton with the treatment of such dis
cases." he says, 1--WE find they are fast
becoming a rarity" He claims that it
is possible to coniine the disease not
only TO one family but to one child
among several. The success OF this
lies mainly in the faithful application
of thorough antiseptic precautions.
DR.. Klophel's idea is that disinfection
should be employed to destroy the
germs or their spores before they can
settle and develop in the system.
With this end in view he gives the
following outline of the treatment:
Il will not consider the treatment
beyond that which think the parents
or nurse may easily and legilimately
employ. First, strips of linen or cot
ton fabric about eight inches wide,
folded Sc eral times aud long enough
to reach from ear to ear should be
wrung out of ice-water if in winter,
and If in summer put directly upon
ice. and then applied externally TO the
throat, and rs fast as one cloth gets
warm another should he ready to take
its place. If the child complains of
being cold its feet and hands should
be bathed in rs hot water as it can
stand. When the child is very young
il may be readily ascertaned if it be
cold or not by feeling its hands and
head.
Under no circumstances should hot
applications be made to the throat. If
the child is old enough it is given
broken ice to suck constantly; even if
tons inhibit the growth OF the
microbes. Instead of using handker-
chiefs pieces of old linen or cotton
should be used. They should only be
of sufficient size to wipe the mouth
once or blow the nose once, then
straig..tway put into the fire and
burned. If wearing apparel, clothing
or bedding becomes soied with the dis
charges from the patients nose or
throat they should. if valuable be
boiled for at least half an hour before
being used again. If the articles are
valueless they should he burned. The
patients hands should be washed fire.
quentlv. and here let me say, so should
those of the attendant and the vessel
for the purpose should not be used by
any one else. The patients clothing
needs protection in front. This may
he done by pinning back of the neck n
large piece of linen or cotton fabric
which will cover the whole front Of
the child and reach as far as the knees.
A material should be used which can
easily be boiled or burned when soled.
The child should he supplied with n
clean one every day. The little pa
tent. if old enough, will want to spit,
and for a spittoon small wooden box
with an inch of sawdust on the bottom
is capital. Fresh sawdust should be
supplied at least once n day-three
times n day would be better-and that
which has been used should be emp
tied upon good hot fire. and thus
burned ut the time the change is made.
If there are any flies about the box
should be kept covered, aud as a mat
ter of course only uncovered when the
patient desires to spit; otherwise flies
lighting upon this spittle would carry
the germs of disease with them, and,
then alighting upon the family's food
and drink, necessarily infect them,
and thus indirectly infect the whole
family. This is by no means chimer-
ical. but n well-estnblishe,l fact.
Here let me say what is true OF
them in connection with the dissemi-
nation Of this disease is also true con-
corning their relations to the spread of
some others, and chiefly tuberculosis
or consumption-they likewise carry
the germs of this disease from the
spitte; and. by the way. spittle of
consumptives should he treated the
same as that in iphtheria-burned
If one of the children in an infected
household should he a baby (say few
months old) and free from the disease
its hands should be frequently washed.
for they are constantly putting their
fingers in their mouth. The sick child
should sleep by itself, and If there are
two windows in he room they should
be down at the top, or If there is but
one it should be down at the top and
raised at the bottom. The amount OF
opening will depend on the state OF
the weather."
The remaining directions are for
cleaning the floors, walls and wood
work of the sick chamber during ana
after the disease. using corrosive sub
Innate for washing the floor, which
should either be covered with oIlcloth
or remain bare. DR.. Klophel con-
dennis sO-called disinfection by burn
ing sulphur as being Intellectual in that
it does not destroy the germs OF dis
ease.
A Chapter OF Beginnings.