The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-12-01
THE DIPHTHERIA REMEDY.

Some time ago The News spoke of the
new remedy for diphtheria, and gave
brief description of its method of affect
ing the system.
The subject has become OF great
interest, and is being discussed in nearly
all the large cities. In New York there
have been experiments going on, the
results of which ought to be fully known
to the public everywhere.
The latest numbers Of The Medical
Record (New York; and The Medical
News Ph;ladelphia) publish full and
most interesting accounts Of expert
ments conducted in hospitals in those
cities.
The New York test was made at
hospital, in twenty cases, all
being children, the average age
being three years. The serum
remedy-the nti-toxin-should properly
be administered on the first day of the
attack, but in these cases the average
day of admission to the hospital was the
cows: Seven on the third day, five on
the fifth day, two on the seventh day,
one on the eighth, and the remainder
before the third day.
It is seen, therefore, that the treatment
did not have as fair trial as it ought.
Five Of the little patients died, but only
one of them in consequence of toxin
poison. The only treatment they re-
leived was injections of tho anti toxin,
the irrigation of all cases once and two
several times, and stimulation as di-
rected. The patients were made,to lie
quietly in bed.
Excluding the four deaths that were
from other causes than toxin poison,
there was one death in 10 cases. The
normal death rate in diphtheria cases is
90 per cent. These cases were selected
on account of their severity, and all
were advanced far beyond the point at
which the remedy is considered efficacious
Yet, under these unfavorable condi-
tions, the treatment saved fifteen of the
twenty patients, while the ordinary
treatment could not have been expected
to save more than ten. Four of those
dying are not to be charged against the
new remedy, since they died of other
causes than the. absorption of toxin
poison by the system.
The plain teaching of all the expert
ments in Amer lea and Europe is that
the anti-toxin is practically Assure cure
for diphtheria when it is administered
early in the disease and in sufficient
quantities.
To be effective the serum must
be in the medicine case
of every physician, ready for
instant use. 1t is probable that the |
majority of diphtheretic cases are not |
seen by physician until they are day
ofd, ut feast.- Fffcn the time for action
has arrived, and the physician ought
not to be obliged to wait moment.
The News has already pointed out
that the preparation of the anti-toxin,
while not complicated process, is
expensive and must be carried on near
where it is to be used. 1t cannot be
cultivated at great factory and distri-
buted wherever 1T is needed. 1t must
come fresh from the animals used to
produce it. Hence it is necessary that
each city provide its own.
There is now sufficient body of evil
ience 10 warrant the belief that by the
ise of this new remedy the scourge of
liphtheria may be practically con-
luered. 1t is scarcely to be hoped
hat the remedy can be supplied
1y private enterprise, though it
eems reasonable 10 expect
hat its production need not be wholly
, charge upon the public treasures
There might be a charge made for it,
md physicians could collect from pa.
tents; enough to at least liquidate
PORTION OF the cost.