Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-11-18
DlpHTHERlA DISCUSSED.


thnria was hIsGuaaed az Thursday after.
MONS session Of the Homeopathic
Medical Society of Delaware anu the
Peninsula. DIR. irvine NJ. Finn road
paper OH tEe treatment of the
disease, tlrst touching upon preventive
measureR. lie eaid that tho treatment
Of true diphtheria was Unsatisfactory.
No ono was ready to claim specific,
and barring the Improvement Of SAM
tary measures, tho treatment ia not
much advanced over that Of 80 years
ago. The doctor stuffed that he did not
believe that ell tliphthe,ia paJients die,
hut that certain proportion recover
lIe favored tho dsinieetion OF the
room ami clothing Of the patient, and
tho throat aud mares OF the nurse and
uthers around the patient. lie ad
v0cated local application TO affected
parts in the patient. They assist in
lseuping the parts clear frnm detached
matter lie held that some deaths we're
duo TO blood poisoning, resulting from
gangrenous matter. DIR. Finn in tho
course of his remarkH left all reference
to anti toxin 10 the paper subsequently
reud by Dr. Goodro.
The treatment of larynenal diphtheria
was discussed in Il paper ny Dr. j.
Paul Lukens, who recommended the
keeping Of the air Of tho room moist
hy having vessel OF water on the
Etove. lie had found ualomel effective
To holp tho larynS. lie considered also
intuhation. which lie favored, it having
been objective in a number of his cases.
Dr. II. w. Howell read a paper on
the treatment Of diphtneria sequelae.
| Among the after effects ara paralysis
Of the heart and of the throat. as we'll
as OF othcr parts of the body. Such
are rarely fatal, except the paralysis of
| the heart
Or. Herbert Il. Northrup, professor
\ Of anatomy in llahnumann College, of
1 Philadelphia, next held the attention
/ of the society in an interesting pre-
| sentation OF tho subject of tracheotumy.
| He said in the carly part of his address
| that of late years intubation has been
used with great Huccess in diphtheria.
and soma of the most prominent nodi
cal men favor it in place OF tracheotomy.
Generally speaking intubatiun ia better
for the younger patients.
Although tracheotomy has baen used
almost since pre- historic times, yet it's
use before the present century was only
occasional. IL was in 1880 that Tros-
seRu, o EienChmHn, useu id with con
siderable suGress. nearly half of his
patients recovering, iie watched his
patients very carefully after tbs
operation aud TO that his success is
partly traced. Willard also had SUCCESS
with il. his experience being that sue
cess increased with the age OF the
child. From statistics il appears that
in children two years of ago, three in
100 recover; whereas over q years OF
age. Al 10 100 recover.
DIR. Norihrup produced model of
the laryhx ami illustrated his con.
sideration of tho divisions Of thu
operation and the method upon it, a
thorough knowledge Of the anatomy Of
the larynX is necessary and the doctor
favored early operation. For the
annsthetic lie held chluro form to lie
the bust. Directions were also given
as to the cutting and use of tho dilator
and the tube, OF which ssveral were
shown. The doctor paid attention also
to the after treatment. which should
lie very careful In conclusion ho spoke
Of the need of cunlnon sense in thif
and in all medicine.
This was followed by an instructive
paper on tie value of diphtheria anti
toxin by DIR. william e. Guodno. nro,
fessor of practice in Hahnemann Col.
lege, Philadelphia. He was strong
advocate of the anti toxin treatment,
! saying that experiences has proven its
benefit TO his continually expanding
surprise. After speaking of statistics
, and making allowance for cures thai
could not Justly he traced entirely ia
the serum, no said that they are over
whelmingly favorable 20 autitoxin. IL
one physiCian'5 experience this trent
, ment had reduced the mortality over
, 30 per cent, the test being made by
treating 200 cases without anti ,toxir
ami 800 cases with it,
DR.. GOodno hogan the use of thi!
treatment upon the introduction OF anti
toxin in this country and he adviser
all physicians TO use it. 10 lGD to III
casee that have come under his nutict
8 only three dad, and ne discussed TIT
three cases 10 detail, in each til,
. disease having been lar advanced wheI
the anti-tuXin treatment was begun
' lie commented also ON some of th
: successful cases. He usually admins
I tered by injection 1000 units Of anti
n toxin serum and generally noted i'm
Q provement, such as falling tempera
v ture, within eight hours. He remarked
that il the anti toxin was administers
!, early enough there would not be murl
: use for tracheotomy. In several Of hi
o cases paralysis had occurred after th
o disease had been checked, but in n
/, case was this permanent One. fourt
Is Of the cases received hut one injection
l. In cases Of very young patients h
sometimes gave but 500 units. Ordi
narily If no Improvement was notice
after the first injection ha would Civ
}, another of LOCO units In 81 me case
d he had given as high as $500 or 5, 0O
units. -Four injections was the largee
9 number he ever gave one person.
"a The serum is now made in thi
70 country and it is not necessary TO us
u the imported. lilo suggested the liz
~ OF only well known makes and advc
le Gated the employment Of tho most cor
~ Ceutrnted form. Unless the patient wa
70 very young he would use not less tina
y LOCO units and considered eight hour
Il long enough to wait for Improvement
The injection should he mado il loos
10 tissue after careful antiseptic washin
Of the flesh. lie urged great care
preparing the Springs for use. lie b.
lieyed il wise 10 administer the ant
), toxin promptly, even If in some cast
i it might afterwards appear not to ha,
l. huen necessary. In closing he Ell
~ couraged the use Of the snti-tuxin wit
re- the full assurance Gf it's power il on
~ poyed early enough to reduce mo
g. tally to small percentage of what
tx was in the past, and without fear
J. untoward result
~ After an extended discussion yo
u of thanks was rendered Drs. Northru
ID and Guodnu, and the meeting ad journet