Dodge City times., 1891-12-18
DIPHTHERIA.

port of the State Board of Health:
Is DIPHTHERIA CONTAGIOUS?
These facts are published for the pur-
pose Of correcting a misapprehension
which, to some extent, exists in the
public mind regarding the question of
the contagiousness of Diphtheria. Un-
fortunately, every year there are found
| persons or communities which are not
i yet quite sure that Diphtheria is infec-
tious, and. like the person who proves
whether the pistol is loaded or not by
aiming it at his own head or that OF
some other person and pulling the trig-
ger, these doubling persons often infect
themselves, their families, or their
neighbors, and keep up and provide
sources Of infection which insure the
| non extinction of the disease.
The direct communication of the d.,
seasc is shown in the following in
stances:
A young lady came home sick with
Diphtheria in q mild form, and on her
arrival her brothers and sisters en-
braced her. They were all attacked
with malignant type of Diphtheria,
and one died. The young lady visited
her aunt in another family where there
we're four children, who took the di-
sease, and one died.
At the death of a child from Diph
liberia, two women helped in laying 1t
out. One of them, who was ffty-three
years of age, was attacked in few days,
and died in three more; the other took
the disease In light form, and recov-
cred.
A boy who had Diphtheria visited
some relatives. In q few days after
his arrival his aunt washed some of his
clothing, and was taken sick with Diph
iberia the next week, and it went
through the family-four cases. Be-
fore the aunt was taken sick, the boy
went to play with another boy, who
took the Diphtheria and gave it to two
other persons in that family.
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
q week she was buried beside her child.
In 1881 there had been no Diphther-
ia in . neighborho, 1 for nearly four
years. The school teacher, during a |
vacation, v 1t to the city, .
notorious hot-bed of Diphtheria.
While there, he contracted what be |
called slight sore throat; he returned
with this still upon him and opened
school; in less than week there were
six lying sick with Diphtheria and the
school was closed. As the children
spread the disease in several families,
it resulted i'll Ave deaths, three of whiel.
we're aoults.
In the following cases the infection
was communicated indirectly through
the medium of clothing. or otherwise.
Three children in one family died OF
in the croupous form. The
nurse believed it was not possible to
larry the disease in clothing. and said
she wouid not change her dress upon
eavIng the house, and that she was not
afraid to take her own children in her
ap upon going home. She was admen
shed against such a fOohardy course.
she told the neighbors week after re
urning home that she did not change
Ter clothing after coming from the in
ected house; 'and,'' SAID she, ''my
hildren have not got the disease
Zen days after she lefs the infected
'ouse the physician was called and
ouud her family with Diphtheria ot
he most fatal fern. One child died
n thirty-sIx hours after it was attack
d. These were the only cases that oc- {
urred anywhere in the neighborhood
# the nurses home 1t is needless to
emark, that nurse now believes it is
cry contagious.
A lady went to help care for fami- {
= sick with Diphtheria; two of the pa {
tents died and one recovered. Three
'eeks after the recovery Of the last pa
lent, aud after disinfection of the
ouse and the surviving persons, the
'dy returned 10 her hons, a section i
here Diphtheria had not been known
or long time; five days after her re- t
1rn, her only daughter, a g,rl of thir- :
zen, took the disease and died. a
A woman died Of Diphtheria; her son $
rought her clothing and bedding home: c
is wife washed them, took the disease, 3
id died 10 less than week.
The cases like these, which unmis- c
'kably show the contagious nature OF Il
iphtheria are innumerable, and at the 5
lmc time there are innumerable il, o
tances ia which DipltLeria has no, q
zen commun Gated to others. ti.cpgs ! a
hers have been exposed TO it. Wtst Il
'es this prove? Not by any menns d
at the disease is not contagious, but,