Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-12-19
Fearful Disease Finally Defeated
Good News Comes from Many
Quarters Results from the New
Remedy the Same Everywhere
Whst he Records Show.


city through the health department.
Since Jan. last DR.. Avery has record
ed $50 cases in which the preventative
has been used. The death rate COM
piled from these $50 cases was less
than 10 per cent, while in an equal
number OF cases in which the antitoxin
was net used the death rate is some
thing over 60 per cent. This is looked
upon as showing the wonderful value
of the treatment. In some instances
there were unsatisfactory results as
the antitOXin was either improperly
used, or was applied at late period.
DR.. Avery looks upon antitoxin as be-
ing a great boon to humanity.
New York, Dec. 1.-THE showing
made here by the use of antitoxin is
remarkable. In one big hospital the
record shows reduction of the death
rate from 1918 per cent. in 1894, be-
fore antitoXin was used, to 26.14 per
cent. in 1864 reduction Of about one
fourth. In the whole city there was
reduction of the death rate from
3454 per cent. in November, 1894, to
1866 per cent. in November, 1896
reduction Of more than one-half
Antitoxin began to be used in Paris
in April, 1894, and came into general
use in September of the same year.
The largest number of deaths in Paris
in any quarter since the remedy began
to be used, viz, 1873 in the first quar-
ter always the highest of the year, of
! 1895, is 1873 per cent. lower than the
. lowest quarter of any year before it
was used viz, the third quarter (gen-
orally the lowesD Of 1898. There was
a very slow decline in the mortality
rate up to 1894, when there was a sud
den drop from 51.4 to 1874, and in the
| first five months of 1895 to 1871 The
/ decrease in 1894 was all in the latter
part Of the year. After April, 1894.
during the following four months, the
mortality in Paris fell off more than %
per cent. In September the number
of cases began to increase, probably
because a larger proportion of the rich
sought hospital treatment, but the
mortality rate continued to fall, being
/
months Of the year a decrease of al
most 68 per cent. from that of the pre-
ViOus four months is noted. This low
rate continued in 1895, the mortality
rate for the first, or winter quarter,
when the disease is usually at it's
worst, both in frequency and severity,
being only 14.9 as against an average
/ of o.
the previous three years.
If anything further could be needed
of statistical proof Of the value of the
antitoxin treatment Of diphtheria, it
is to be found in the elaborate study
made by William H. Welch, M. D.,
pathologist of the Johns Hopkins hos
pital and professor in the Johns Hop
kins university, Baltimore. He has
collected and published in the bulletin
of the Johns Hopkins for July-August,
1895, the data concerning 1856 cases of
diphtheria treated with antitoxin in
Berlin, Vienna, Munich, Prague, Lon
don, Paris, New York and Philadel-
phia. These reports were made by
. eighty-two different authorities, in
Guiding some of the best known medi-
cal men in these various cities. Brief
/ ly summarized, they are as follows:
The fatality of 7,166 cases of diphthe-
ria treated with antitoXin was 17.3 per
cent. The previous or simultaneous
fatality of cases not treated with an
titoXin is stated with forty-six reports
/ These embrace 5,406 cases treated with
antitoXin, with 1,00S deaths, a fatality
of 1876 per cent. Estimating the num-
Der of deaths in these cases upon the
basis of the previous or simultaneous
fatality of each group taking the low
est figure given), there would have
been 2,279 deaths, or 421 per cent.
There was therefore an apparent re-
duction of case mortality by the use
of antitoXin of 55.S per cent DR..
Welch says:
The natural Interpretation of our
statistics, showing, in over 1000 cases,
of which at least five-sixths are from
hospital practice treated with ant1tox-
in, an extraordinarily low percentage
Of deaths for this class OF cases, and
. SI4ON MS an dppdI SIII ISCuCIIOu III Id
tality of from so to 60 per cent. by the
use of antitOXin, is that antitoxin ex-
erts a specific curative power over
diphtheria."
With reference to the hospital treat
ment of diphtheria, DR.. WEIGH says:
L believe it has been shown that even
If all possible allowances be made, they
are still wholly inadequate to account
for an apparent reduction in the
deaths from diphtheria by antitoxinic
treatment of so to 60 per cent. in near
~ 5000 cases collected from hospitals
in Germany, France, Austria, Italy,
England and America, and reported by
forty different physicians, most of
whom are Of high reputation and large
/ experience. These statistics seem to
me to establish beyond all reasonable
doubt the conclusion that antitoxin is
specific curative agent for diph-
iberia"
! With regard to the reduction in the
cases which formerly required opera
ton where the gullet or windpipe was
choked with diphtheritic membrane,
DR. WEIGH. quotes from DR.. Baginsky, of
Berlin, as follows:
Here again the observation of the
individual cases of laryngeal stenosis,