The morning news., 1894-11-21
TO KEEP TRACK OF BACILLL.
The IldiClI Society Wants The CITY 70
Have a B2CtCIi0lOgiSt

board ants u 2 j. -G-4 al , Z
in the City Health Departmental A
New Treatment Of The
Difficulty in Diagnosing the Disease
ors CT the Principal Reasons for the
Proposed Che-.
= decided step IN the interest Of the city's
health is being taken by the Georgia AIedi-
cal Society. a committee Of physicians,
DIS. J. Z. Read. chairman. and Drs. Dun
can. BOYD and Dunn. appeared before the
meeting OF The sanitary board yesterday.
There was a fun meeting, with the ex-
ception Of Alderman Harris. who, how
ever. had already assured the committee
Of his hearty interest ana sympathy. The
purpose Of the committee was to bring
10 the attention Of the board the necessity
Of having q bacteriologist connected with
the city health department
The committee was Of the opinion that
the city could make this Important addi-
ton 10 its health department at com
parauvely small cost, which would be
nothing, compared with the resulting
benehts. The purpose Of the committees
visit was explained TO the Morning News
by the chairman, DIT. Read
The purpose Of the committees call
upon the sanitary board" he said, was
70 make certain statements with regard
TO diptherla. There have been wonderful
discoveries and Improvements in the treat
nent Of diptheria Of a very recent date.
The subject was discussed at recent
meeting OF the medical society, and it was
decided that the best means Of having the
city obtain advantage Of these discoveries
was to bring the matter to the attention
OF the health authorities and have official
action taken upon this line, II possible, as
the supervision and quarantine Of diph-
iberia cases is one Of the specific duties
OF the health authorities. There are two
kinds of diphtheria, true ana false. True
diphtheTiB is a very serious disease, in
5izsd. while false dphtheria ls mild and
seldoG fatal. The most experienced physi-
clans CeHuot distinguish positively be-
tween the TWO without going through a
necessary course Of microscopic eXamina-
tion with the proper apparatus. The
Klebs Loefer bacillus is peculiar to the
trus diphthera, while it is absent in the
false dlphtheria. a large per ceutage Of
the cases diagnosed as diphtheria are not
true dlphtheria, and the disease cannot be
EG44l4L 0+4lGdLEQ 10 gLIGIG AED4ll LLlE DdAlCHL
Under the present system Of super
vision Of this disease" said DR.. Read,
tbs attending physician is compelled to
report every case coming within his prac-
tice to the health ofhcer who places the
house under quarantine, the result Of
which is 70 prevent the communication
of its inmates with outside parties. The
other children in the house, II any, are re-
moved from school and must frequently
remain away for two or three weeks. Now,
II the case were pronounced false diph-
iberia by a competent bacteriologist, all
this trouble and Inconvenience would be
done away with. On the other hand. there
are oftentimes cases Of a doubtful nature
which subsequently, prove to be diph-
theria. The infection may spread, how
ever before the case IS properly diagnosed.
Here the bacteriolcgist would prove valu-
able in preventing the spread Of the dis
ease and saving lives in many Instances.
Il Is especially to the interest Of physi-
clans to prevent the spread Of virulent
diseases, and as this is a matter demand
ing official cognizance you can see our
reasons for bringing ii 10 the attention of
the health authorities. II, by the expend-
ture Of a small amount of money the city
can save lives ana limit the extent Of vtru-
lent diseases it viii certainly be money
well spent.
we asked the board" said Dr Read,
ITO take the matter under consideration
and to appoint a committee to 20 before
the council TO ask an appropriation to pro-
vide the city with means for making this
distinction between false and true diph-
iberia. We were very wel received and
our remarks were listened TO with the
utmost attention. The board complied
with our request by appointing DR.. Brun-
ner 70 investigate the subject and report
TO subsequent meeting Of the board
when il is probable that a committee will
be appointed TO so before the council and
urge that an appropriation be made in
next years budget for the purpose
stated"
Or. Read said he did not think that
the amount required 70 carry out the
suggestions Of the committee would ex-
ceed 81, 900. i is not contemplated that
the city should employ IN experienced bac-
teriologist 70 attend simply to this work
These men come high, and could not be
had for small salaries. The idea is that
some person connected with the health
department physician OF course, should
be sent on to New York at the city's ex-
pense TO study in the hospitals there the
most recent methods Of treating the dis
ease, and the methods used for its detec-
ton. Dr.. Graham, the quarantine officer,
IS said to have given soma study 70 this
branch Of medico-scientihc work and he
has been suggested as suitable person
10 60 on 10 New York and acquire tho ce-
sired experience, and to secure the ne
cessary apparatus for conducting the ex-
perlments. Ills position as bacterioloRisJ
o. the health board would not interfere
with his duties as quarantine officer The
method Of securing the requisite evidence
Of bacteria in the throat is very simple,
aud the specimens could be sent down
70 the quarantine officer by mail with
but little loss Of time by him with his
diagnosis on the following day. His re-
port would be made 70 the health oficer
who would act accordingly.
There are very few persons probably
outside Of the medical profession who
are aware that vaccination is now used
both as preventive and q cure for diph
teria. and also some other diseases in,
clu6ing locEjaw. The new method OF
treatment has been most success fully used
in eiphtheria. The material or substance
with which the patient is vaccnatcd is
blood serum. obtained from a horse O,
other animal which has been immunizet
fo tho diseas. by repeated injections Of N.
virus Of tho disease.
The process Of obtaining this serum is
lengthy one, requiring several months an
20 explain it iu detail wouid require con
siderable space. u has been demonstrate
50 be e. success % the e~HiefacfIcu OF th