The San Francisco call., 1896-11-13
Statistics Show That It Lowers
the Death Rate From
Diphtheria.
SOME SIGNIFICANT CHICAGO
FIGURES.
A Health Commissioner Demonstrates
That Antitoxin Is Won
derful Remedy.

That the prepararions OF the Board OF
Health to repel the advance of a threat
ened epidemic of diphtheria were not i'll
timed is shown by the fact that three new
cases OF the scourge were reported at the
Health Office yesterday.
OF Yesterdays cases two were in the
house of family named Mcguire. living
at % Dorland street, and one in the home
of the Smith family at 1858 Seventeenth
street. Both houses were fumigsted and
quarantiued.
Since November / forty-seven cases of
diphtheria have been reported, of which
seven, or nearly 15 per cent, bave so far
proved fatal. The Board of Health is fully
alive to the danger of the situation and is
already preparing to combat any further
spread of the disease in many ways.
Quarantine vigilance will be reooubled
and an effort will be made to have a sup
ply of the autitoxin serum, which is the
most efficient remedy for the scourge yet
discovered, placed within the reach of
local physicians should they care to avail
themselves OF the opportunity 10 try it.
"Of course We do not believe that the
antitoxic treatment is infallaible." said
DR.. Morse yesterday. "but it certainly has
shown favorable results in large mum ber
of cases, and there Is no reason why 1t
should not be given thorough trial, and
particularly at this time.
Some time ago the State Board OF
Health set aside q sum of money, $4,000
believe, to obtain supply of the serum
by the regular methods employed in
manufacturing it, l understand that a
large quantity was obtained, aud that
depots have been establish he'd where it can
be obtained.
store OF A. L. Lengfeld, 202 Stockton street,
where it can be obtained Tree of charge ov
any physician who is in need Of a supply"
Inquiry at lepgfeid's last evening
showed that there was supply of the
serum on hand ready for distribution TO
physicians who care to call for 1t.
Though DR.. Morse is not so enthusi astic
over the antitoXic treatment as to declare
it infallible, there are others who declare
it to be the greatest boon. and their state
ments are supported by figures. In re-
cent issue of prominent medical pnbli-
cation appears the following in regard to
the matter:
So far as the testimony of physicians, based
upon their clinical experience, is concerned
this is overwhelmingly in favor of the anti
toxic treatment, wherever their experience in
its employment has been a large one; those
with less experience are often even more en-
thusastic.
1t is scarcely ten months since antitoxin has
been used by more than q very few favored
physicians, and it is g much shorter time since
its use has become at all general. In this
comparatively short time there have, however,
been published more or less definite reports OF
the results OF the treatment i'll at least 10 000
cases These are presented as by no means
complete, only the more readily accessible
Journals having been consulted, but IT is be-
iieved TO include all of the more important re-
ports. Nor has use been made OF such merely
general published statements without detail
as that there have been treated in France VI
10 the end OF December 27G0 cases with NOR
tality of 10 per cent; in Austria, outside of vi
emma, $50 cases with mortality of 15.7 pei
cent; in Croatia ana Slavonia, 42S cases with
amortality of 1913 per scent; in Berlin hos
pitfalls, 1900 cases, with reduction in fatali ty
of one-half.
Still stronger is the showing made in
favor of the treatment by the report o
Health Commissioner Kerr of Chicago
who, on August 81, 1885, made public
statement that the death rate from diph
liberia in his city was So per cent of all tn,
cases reported.
Later, on January 10 last, he rendered
another report, from which the following
figures are taken:
The number of cases of dphtheria
visited at request OF attending family