The herald., 1895-01-27
THE SERUM CURES D|PHIHERIA
Health officer Powers Talks
About Anti-Toxine.
Three Out of Four Cases Treated
Have Been Successful.
the A,teut,on OF Copgress Yul b. Called
to the Rsmsdy-How 1t Ia
Procured.


reporter of THE. HERALD detailed
account of thu four cases OF diphthsria
which he hos treated With ansi-toxine
since he received ANAL lot OF the rom
edy juat weak ago.
The frat case was that OF she 14year-
old Hanlou boy, a patient of Dr. KAN
mons. In thia Case the boy wao dan
gsrously i'll and was out of danger inside
OF three days from the frat I'M eetion.
The second cage WAS that Of 4. @. Bar
ker, a 3-yearsold boy on Second and Ala
media streets. This child was eickly be-
fore the attack of diphtheria and his res
covery waa considered very doubtful.
He was taken sick and the frss iniss-
ton OF the remedy was given on jan
airy 18Th. Five cubic centimeters was
used by injection ia the sbdoms at the
left side. Ga tbs day following there
was noticeable improvement, AMI alter
second injection the membrane hao
left the throat ana the child could
speak. II 10 now nearly recovered.
The third trial was made in tho case
Of Mary Shuln, 5.-yesr-old child who
son street. This was the one unsuccesa-
full trial ous OF four. The patient was
taken sick on January 10Th and wac be-
ing cared for by DR.. Schmidt. The child
was very feeble when the snti-toxine
was administered, the temperature be.
ing but normal and the general symp-
toms very unfavorabls. Tho child died
on January Oath. DIR. Powers thinke
that had the remedy been tried sooner
the life might have been eaved.
The fourth case 10 that of Vic Barker,
q 5.year-old chile who WAC taken sick
on January Goth. This was an ordinary
case, the conditions not being consider
ed uniavorabie. The microscope showed
diptheris baclli and the anti-toxine
was injected on the 25ths On the fol.
lowing day another injection OF 10 cubic
centimstres was given and the condition
of the patient is now very much in-
proved.
In connection with the testa of the
new and wonderful remedy made in this
city, extracts from the report made by
the United States consul at Frankfort
will be OF interest.
The subject 10 about to engage tbs at
tention of oongresn. because of the large
number OF inquiries for detailed inform
alton concerning tho anti-toxins and
because at Frankfort is the only eatab-
lishment where it has bsen produced
commercially in quantities adequate to
meet the rapid increase in demsnd.
Mr.. Mason, the consul, gives O clear
and detailed description OF every step in
the process OF production OF the new
remedy, preceded by gu accurate his
tory of the discovery and its Develop
msnts. The factory ct Frankfort to
which he refers 10 the "Farbroerks" at
Hoescht-on. Main. ....@-.-- ..~,.s.
Sheep and gosts, ut frat employed to
produce the serum. were discarded bs-
| cause their tissues were affected by the
various foods they consumed, and re-
course was had 10 horses. The eatsb
llshment now utilizss the blood OF rs
horses, and has trained corps OF more
than so men employed in this one work,
producing at present about 1000 doses
per Gay, and by the end of this month it
will supply the demands.
1t 10 absolutely requisite that the
horse be young, vigorous and physically
perfect, and no racing stud was ever
better housed, exercised, fed and cared
for. The snti-toxine improves with
age. ct least during the first two
months. and thu German physicians no
longer use it fresh, when it is apt to
cause ekin eruption.
An early application, however, Is of
the utmost Importance. In ~ cases OF
children treated within two days of the
first appearance of diphthsria but two
cases we're fatal, and the death rate in
such cases is placed at per cent. In
Germany, where tho fatal cases used to
average 60 per cent end not less than
5000 lives were sacrificed to the dipb-
therie scourge. the mortality list has been
reduced to less than one.fourth, and it
will be still further reduced whom the
country phyeicigns use it freely. A
asrious epidemic OF diphtheris at Trieste
has been practically mastered by anti
toxine.