The Newtown bee., 1895-03-22
Editorial Ink Drops.
ANTIToxINE AND DIPHTHERIA.

 the discovery of the new remedy for the terrible disease, diphtheria, is of vital importance. With this idea in view the writer informally interviewed our local physicians.
 Dr Smith, whom everyone holds in high esteem, regards the anttoxine treatment of diphtheria as based on truly scientific principles, and that eventually all contagious or zymot- ic diseases will be treated in a like manner. He has not yet had occas. ion to use antitoxine, but if he had, he would not hesitate. Dr Smith cor dially believes that this line of treatment Is along the march of progress.
 Dr Paul Sunderland, a recent conner in our midst but having already estab lished a reputation as a skilled practi- tioner, says he Is inclined to look favora- bly, on the antitoxine treatment. Dr Sunderland says he has not investigated the question, however, and would not care to speak authoritatively.
 Dr Richardson, Sandy Hooks success ful resident physician, does not think the remedy has been thoroughly tested as yet, SO as to tell whether it has come to stay. He has used 1t in two cases, where the results were highly satisfactory. Dr Richardson pointed out that pr Jenner, the discoverer of the small pox preven- tive, was ridiculed at the start.
 Dr Judson, veteran in the service, looks npon the remedy favorably.
 A very interesting and able paper on this subject in the Forum for March, by DrL Emmet Holt, in speaking of the experiments In France, says:
 The mortality of diphtheria in Paris Tn 80OO hospital cases treated uuriug the tour years b2 per cent. or the first goo hospital cases of true dtphJhrria treated with anJlLoxIns the mortality was but 26 per cent. There are in cluded in these 300, only cases lu which the dtpthgi tu bacillus was tOund, At the same lltnG lLht llGSt cases N ere LrGhLel untltOX. Int in one hospital, 62O Cttses W re treated ia another, without II, with mortality of 60 per cent; sho N Ing thatthe results obtained bS the AntitCXiuG could not be explained by the fact that n mildtr D De Ot disease was then D. evHiI- lug. Even 20 Der cent reems n nigh mortality, but IL n. L, D,I r,.IueIn ,eryd in reaiiuK thes,, stt tstics that every ca-e ot dtphlhrria H'i mitt' d tO tlIe hospital during h certain period wHs injected, no matter ho~ lar a,Ivan,;eu the, disras' Was nor how hopeless the condition Of the pati, mt
 The iat-r reports from Paris are even more sBll ..sl tV taliy Was but ii 1 D C-m,. shU A Ing that with n better urdrt etannluR pt Gnr us. of he iu'xns ard greater skt'l in pr ptrIug 1t, th" 2 sults have Ue n steadily improving it Ia nliil sutt tu ImaRti' tht' XUlLemrhJ which has Uorn produced in Paris bS thIs discovery Not "hlS Lhe m'uiG'l pr''ies~ton but tn" pub lie have gone lu over ltlu truo French lash lon
 Reports on the results of experiments In lhls country, allh, ugh not AS yet g" enavrI CT 2 Ye Iho-e ftom abroad, are en GU giTg, "Id he public, as well as th' "'u'Cr p,' I,'tiun htIe, aIt d,'ply m. Letty,,d h. C, hc uuing hI. article, D Holt dra"s lhese convincing coD. ctu D.:
 In estimating the value oi the u lished re p its IL h. ulu ue know n that the majUIIIy oi tnes~ have Dr' n made Dy men who uad seen much ui ulphth' ria and W hu knew we'll what ts uHt uI1u course Is Also that care has ut taken Ju CNClu,lr all cases ot"Inlse' di phtuerit or tbose m whith the ulphtneI ia bacillus was absent, nd that these make up a VeIy large proportion ol the mild cHS once ineiudeu as dipatheria The Iiiking and iuIm ediate IYll in th mortality in hospitals for dipntheriA, from 4O or 50 per cent to iron 10 70 26 per cent Us in the reports gwen, Is 100 marked to be acci. dental, especially hen Il has been noted in - has been tried. But after all has been said the personal Observation or cases, even yincins than any statistics. itis this which has made n convert Of almost every observer tU the new treatment.
 This subject is further illuminated by two excellent articles in the March Mo. Clure's. Dr H. M. BIgg's says that it is certainly demonstrated that the value of the cure Is very great, and that 1t is an immense advance on any previously known treatment of diphtheria. He says, moreover, that It is distinct injus- tlce to judge antitoxine by the history of Koch's tubei culin, to which the dip theria remedy bears only superficial re- semblance.
 As to the expense of the production of antitoxine Dr Riggs writes:
 The production of antitoxine requires con siderable time, high grade Of technical skill, and ts attended with very considerable ex pense. The cost ot the remedy in this coun- try up to the present time has been excessive Where 1t could be obtained at all, the price has been from x3 to Si2 a dose. depending up- Snvn 6n the o strength r ot the serum = The prices ably there will be a still further reduction, as the supply is more nearly equal to the de. mand; but under all conditions 1t must be a comparatively expensive remedy.
 If 1t is going to narrow down to a fight between the Consolidated and the traction or electric railway companies, we hope the Consolidated people will win. Look at the business side of the question for moment. The Consoli- dated road is, paying something like 5000, 900 year in taxes to the state. It has bought it's right of way and pays for it's privileges. The electric railways are mostly controlled by corporations owred by parties outside the state. They come into Connecticut, and paying scarcely any tax, gobble up our high ways, make travel by. carriage un- comfortable, if not dangerous, and make the most outrageous demands on town and city governments. We are not saying, mind you, that the electric rail ways are not benefit and that as far as they do not override the rights of the people, they ought to be encourag- cd. But we think 1t Is n grievoua wrong to the tax payers to have eu, highways given over bodily to the trac- tion companies, because forkooth some