The herald., 1894-12-07
DIPH7HER|A NOT PREVALENT,
Professor Search Discusses the
Subject.
There Is No Immediate Danger of the
Disease Spreading.
The Anti-Toxins Treatment Said to Bo
Still an Expsrimsnt-The New
York Plan of Di-
agnosis.


mains closed, and the residents OF Eas
Los A ugeles are greatly excited over the
presence of diphtheria in their midst.
Prof. P. W. Search. superintendent o.
the city schools, in talking over the
matter with HERALD reporter yester'
day, said that there is no especial cause
for alarm. I'm the first place." said be,
1--WE are daily notified by DR.. Powers,
the city health officer. of all contagious
cases coming within his notice; and he
is an authority upon such matters,
Under the law, all physicians are COM
pelled to inform the health officer, In
writing, of all cases of diphtheria and
other contagious diseases which they are
attending. The health officer at once
ouarantines and fumigates the premises
and does all within his power to prevent
the spreading OF the disease.
"In the Chestnut street school district
six oases were reported by the health
officer to this office, and at once started
out on tour of investigation. found
that some scholar had attended the
aehnnl and By coming in contact with
him the other pupils had contracted the
disease. | decided that there was but
one thing to do and that was to close the
school for fear that more of the scholars
might become ill.,
.'While / am talking upon the ques.
tion," continued Professor Search, Il
would like to say that our health depart
ment is one OF the most important ad-
juncts of the city government, and it is
q shame that larger appropriation is
not made to properly maintain it. l
believe that DR.. Powers is allowed but
5000 monthly with which to pay his
three deputies, and this amount will not
recompense igood and efficient men. NO
one knows BETTER than do how invslu-
able these health reports are, and l am
sure do not know how the city schools
could be kept in healthful condition
and the spread of contagion prevented
were it not for the supervision of sani.
tary matters by the health Office.
HOn Monday the following cases were
reported: Helen McEwen, 21l South
Griffin avenue; Austin Randolph, 232
Mozart street; Hazel Johnston, 259
North Chestnut street; J. Hanley, 516
Pasadena avenue; Ernest Henry, l23
North Hayes street, and Fred Sutton,
225 North Chestnut street. Two of
these cases are within q few feet OF
the school just closed and other cases
are in the immediate neighborhood. All
these places have been placarded and
quarantined. besides being fumigated,
and l really do not believe that the dis
ease will spread, for the simple reason
that no new cases have been reported
during the past two days.
"Children living in other sections OF
the city need have no fear, for the
diphtheria is confined to q few blocks
in East Los Angeles, and. on the &C.
count Of the precautionary measures OF
the health officer, there is no danger of
it spreading.
"The Chestnut.street school will not
open until after the holidays. All the
class rooms are being calcimined and
the rooms fumigated, 30 as to remove
the germs OF the disease from the books
and furniture. When it reopens. |
think that there will be no more dan
ger."
DR.. Powers, the city health officer.
in discussing the matter said that he
had done everything within his power to
confine the disease within its present
limits, and he does not anticipate that
any more of the school children will be
stricken down with the dread malady.
I10 W 40 abk0u III no tlOuRhb Az ACCCs-
sary to send to New York for the anti
not. "We have no laboratory here,"
said he, ito experiment with, and We
do not know sufficient about the anti
toxine remedy to send east for it. 1t ia
only an experiment at best, and should
diptheria become epidemic, which is
not at all likely, we would want some
DIV ~ artr ant
DIR. E. A. Bryant, the police surgeon,
in discussing anti-toxine as a cure, ex-
pressed himself as did DR.. Powers. "In
my medical reports l find," said the
doctor, THAT DR.. Kstz of Berlin reports
that in the Children's hospital there, in
four years. 1851 cases were treated, with
o mortality of 3S 9 per cent. In three
and one-half years Immediately preced-
ing the beginning of treatment by anti
toxine there was mortality of Al per
cent. During the three months anti.
toxine was used there were 129 cases 80
treated. with a mortality of 1872 per
cent. Katz believes that it is too soon
to state positive conclusion. but thinks
the anti.toxine treatment the best go
far suggested, but he awaits further
trials"
DR.. Bryant explained that the anti
toxine treatment is the incubation of a
guinea pig or other animal with diph-
liberia and then using the serum as
preventive or cure for human beings.
1.-The treatment may prove a success,
but should not favor its introduction
here as An experiment"
The New York method OF diagnosis is
the best in use. and is simple and prac.
tical. They use boxes containing two
glass tubes separated by wooden par.
tition. One Of these tubes contains ster.
ilized serum bouillon, the other a metal
rod carrying a sterilized cotton swab.
held in place by cotton stopper. These
boxes, with directions for use printed
thereon, are left at drug stores at differ
snt points of the town and renewed at
fixed intervals. A physician having a
case OF suspected diphtheria gets one of
che boxes, makes an incubation, sends
the box to the central station and the
next morning the diagnosis is sent to
him by telephone. The ADVANTAGES of
this method are evident. Ieola,iop.
prophylaxis, plscarding the house,
anxiety of parents, intelligent treat
ment. subsequent disinfection, a statis-
tioal knowledge OF the real number OF
diphtheria cases, of membranous Group
and of similar cases and various other
important considerations, all depend
upon the meteorological diagnosis.
While the disease is not epidemic
here the introduction of the New York
plan may become necessary.
Th Modern Mother