Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-07-28
HOW DISEASE SPREADS.
olPHTHERlA COMMUNICATED IN MANY
UNSUSPECTeD WAYS.
rhe Easy Propagation Of the Terrible
MaIady by Momentary Contact with In
fected Persons or surroundings-Exp
sure from Pet Animals

from Pet Animals
The extreme contaglousness of diphtheris
is well known moments exposure to q
child suffering from it, even in the mlides'
form, or in a room infected by 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 numberess 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 a child with
fatal diphtheria, seen by me in consulta
ton, apparently contracted the disease by
embracing a 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
persons and clothing become fully infected
by the diphtheritic germs, are very liable to
communicate the disease, unless they con
stanty employ precautionary measures.
Thus the shawl of a nurse sent to the house
OF 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
conveyances 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 unsuspectng parents to
the public and private schools, and there
communicate diphtheria, frequently of
malignant and fatal form, to their class
mates. | 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
glsts Investigating the nature of dphtheria
have in numberless instances communi
Gated the genuine disease to animals by in.
oculating them with cultures of the Klebs
Loeffler bacillus
IL is very important that parents should
know that milk, the common food of the
nursery. is culture medium of The diph
therltlc germ. The specific bacillus fall
ing into the milk in handling at the farm
house or elsewhere grows aud multiplies
In It, MIR. Cole, Il 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 a dis.
eased COW
DANGER IN MILK AND CATS.
The London Medical Times and Gazette
for January, 1879, states that Mr.. w. III.
rover health Inspector, investigated an
outbreak of diphtheria and obtained suffi
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 in fictitious
mammitis.
1t is evident from the above observations
and facts that the utmost pains should be
taken to obtain milk designed for the
nursery from a healthy source, and to pre-
vent its subsequent infection. We NAV
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 all
pathogenlc germs. | invariably direct
that 1t be steamed in or over boiling water
two hours rs soon as possible after its re
ception,
hleln mas made experiments showing the
Identity OF feline and human diphtheria
though dlphtheria in the cat presents some
anatomical characters different from tbose |
In man, and the following observations ap-
pear to show that it is sometimes commu.
nlcated by this pet of the nursery to the |
children that fondle it:
The Medical Press and Circular, June
1870, states that DR.. Lawrence reports two
cases under his care in which diphtheria
seems TO have been communicated by cats
In the first case, that of a little girl. a care
-ul inquiry showed that she had not been
exposed to any patient with diphtheria
although this disease was prevailing with
n mile of the patients residence. but
hat she had nursed sick cat some DAYS
previously. The cat died soon after. and a
second cat became sick and was killed.
DANGER IN FARM ANIMALS.
Further inquiry disclosed the fact that =
farmer had lost seventeen cats
ma another farmer fifteen cats from :,
hroat distemper, One of the farmers
tated that he had examined the throats of
ONE OF the cats and found them covered
WITH white membrane
observations show that the feathered
rloe are especially liable to dipbtheria
IN the island of Skiathos, off the north.
astern coast of Greece no diphtheria he'd s
ccurred during at least thirty years pra.
lously TO 1884, according to DR.. Bid. the I
MEDICAL practitioner of the island. s
IN 1881 dozen turkeys were introduced Q
rom Salonica Two of them were sick nj L
ne time aud died soon afterward TIE c
thers became affected soon afterward and L
the whole number seven died. three re. s
oVered and two were sick at the time of II
le inquiry. These two had difiicult !.
rea'uihS' swelling of the glands of the q
eek ana pseudo-m membrane extending IN
le iarnyX As further evidence that tho o
sease was diphtheria, one of the turkeys Il
iat survived had paralysis of the feet =
ue turkeys were in a garden upon the- /
,r'n siue OF the town, and the prevailing
mus upon the island are from the nortb a
neu TINS sickness was occurring a,nono &
e turkeys an epidemic of dipbtheria ba7 p
vi III Tue houses IN proximity to the gar. I'll
~ anu spread through the town. II OF
''eu i've months, and of l25 individuals 81
t lacked by diphtheria in a population of g
w tnlrty-slX died. From this time dinb. di
era mas been established on the island hi
II, Il, frequent epldemics of it have occurred In