Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-06-13
OF MEDICAL SCIENCE.
Mortality from Diphtheria Reduced
by Antitoxin Treatment.

by AntitOxin Treatment.
To the Editor Of the Dispatch:
Your recent notice OF the report OF tho
committee Of the American Pediatric go
clety, who. after sending out COCO circu-
lars TO the physicians throughout the
United States and Canada In reference to
the antitoxin treatment Of diphtheria in
private practice. states that "the mortali-
ty st present rests at n u per cent" de-
serves more than q casual reading. IN
eleven months, ending April! !. 1877, the
report shows that l,14 cases OF 'd!ph-
iberia OF severest type were treated
with antlt0Z.n and the committee tells
us that even "the mortality Of 2l.l2 per
cent is too high" That it Is too nigh Is
shown by the painstaking report OF the
Board Of Health of Chicago, which states
that l,6JS cases OF diphtheria were treated
during the five months and twenty-five
days ending April ., 1897, with NOR
tally Of less than per cent Nhen
we remember that just five years ago
G6g2) diphtheria visited our city with q
mortality Of over II per cent, that we
had 20 cases. not one of when was
treated with antltoxin, we can appreciate
the marvellous advances made IN the
treatment of this disease. and the inn
mense saving OF human life since lSs2.
At that time the wor. OF two German N
ycstigatOr5 was watched with interest,
and their discovery fOreshadOwed with
such certainty az 10 venture the predic-
tion That soon. and shortly, children
would be inOculated TO insure Immunity
against diphtheria, rs well as against
smallpox" Within the last two years,
not only has this prediction been verified,
but the achievements OF the anttohln
treatment have exceeded the expectations
Of the most advanced men OF the pro-
fces.on.
II may not be generally known, but
diDhtheria destroys more lives IN one
year than smallpox does in ten. Ihere
we're criy 3ss deaths from smallpox u
the whole OF England and Wales during
the quarter ending March 81, 1889. Chicago
(see report OF Board OF HEALTH in the
last ten years lost more than tWeive
thousand children with diphtheria. smith
tells US. in the last edition Of his work,
that 1T is TO be, from appearances, the
scourge Of America IN the future above
all other maladles; and Of all diseases
received from Europe 1t is the most dread
ed" $500,
Antitoxln was introduced in April, 1893,
at which time Behring reported his ntSt
thirty cases thus treated. Before tniS
period the mortality was feaIlII-Ied,cH,-
ing i'm soma epdemlcs. says Dr. Nelch,
Of Johns Hopkins. the AWFUL mortality OF
100 per cent. Since then it has descended
To less than per cent. April, 1893, marks
the dividing line between the two treat
ments.
What is antitoxin? The question has
been asked all down the ages, why pa,
tent gets well without medicine, ana
why i'm attack OF disease coniers 10 It
greater or less extent immunity IiOih
subsequent attacks? Now, from expert
ments made upOn animals, and from IN
proved methods OF study, it has been
found that the elements Of the BODY Ut
response to the stimulating actions OF the
bacterial toxins, snake polsohs, &C, IN
iected simultaneously by minute lhltldL
but gradually increasing doses Tor some some
weeks. or months, produced something
which enabled the animal 10 Withstand
the action Of hundreds Of times. ana IN
some cases, Thousands or times tne Hlnl-
mum fatal dose OF the poison. ms solue
thing. Of which we know scarcely any
thing as yet. which may be obtained from
the blood-serum OF the animal or patle..
experimental upon with the poison o.
from the animal or person mat mas IT,
covered from an attack or an lnleClICiS
disease. We call anutoXln- lluteG' ~,
blood serum of an immuni2ed animal may
be introduced into A nOn-immuniled am
al. and protect II from the fatal eilecls
OF many times the fatal dose or the poison
against which the first animal "dS III
18th &c
The present population Of the .earth IS
1 AT Cf.CI0. and when We remember ~
two thirds of the human race die OF IN
fictitious diseases. II is at once seen 49,
a wide field Is here opened up LOT iheu.csi,i
scientific research. Already the udS1sI.o
Of many % these infectious maiaoiiS
tetanus. pneumonia, typnold-
fever smallpox. consumption, yelVW
fever have been DISCOVERED. not OIlS
the larger cities, tut several OF tne Soy
ernments Of Europe. are secondlnS tlls
offorta Of The profession In stamping o-t
these awful diseases mat nave rAgasen
the earth for thousands OF years. co.,H,t
said to smallpox: Thus far snalL tnou
20. but no turtner .; 80 ao 80 ileox?
Armed with antitOXin the chicago ,phy-
sicians feaglessly entered the SICK cnau-
Der and robbed ulphthVrla OF ~ litSn"Cts
victim. Ninety thousand peogie Gie .,
annually IN the Unlted
states alone. Even nsw, we can say 10
me consumptiye: Look upl Your reoehp-
zion draWeth nigh Even TINS ihohS'et
will soon lie harm css az our Ieel,
'eW months since the Government 81
,razil offered $3.50 900 for remeI. lor
Dr. Sayanilli, Of Italy, went
10 the Island of FlOVes when tne disease
VAS raging, and though ne came near
losing his own life by the fever ne con
raCted there, yet ne recONeIeI' -. -, a.
MAS Staying its thousands. ana alter
nocula ting eco various animals " IN MS
own hand. announced 10 the IresLue" Oh
The republic Of Uruguay that ne hhI I.s
.overed the true bacillus or yeloW-
over. and Is entitled 10 the reward OF the
BRAZILIAN Government. Medical science
win now saw 10 yellow fever. Let my
fearful havoc be stayed as the discover
n of chloroform said In lSi5: Let there
be 70 more Iain, and pam went 10 sep
iciousness. and there has been no
more necessary pain since, even
n capital operations. All the nlIho aires
# earth have not conferred the DenehI
lpon humanity tnal ms one pLs 'li I.fn
conferred. when ne gave TIE world chic
'ofOrm. We have spent millions or money
since the foundation Of our government
n erecting monuments TO the apOtheoses
II our military heroes. Let rs stop TINS
zero worship. and. Instead, raise monu-
II the race. They have reached the
highest sunlt summit Of the lOtuest
ange of scientific thought. and from this
,roud eminence, from this NJ. Sinai. are
rOclaimiug new law TO medical men,
md are quietly and unselhshly shedding
he rays of knowledge upon a thousand
Universities and colleges, from which. as
10 many fountains. the healing streams
re even now flowing 10 all nations. II
October 1891, the physicians OF this coun-
~ raised "a monument 10 one OF their |
brethren upon the SOL OF New York and |
few weeks since unveiled another in our |
ational capital-the only monuments 20 !
Ihys clans upon the shores OF the New |
World. Who can estimate the achieve !
nents Of Edison? What kind Of monU- l
lent can we erect 10 man whose dis /
overies have enriched companies, cor !
oratiOns. and synGicates. and whose /
are scattered over the earth? |
inc Lord bless every br7iny and kind /
eartod physician who. while he sits be- |
ides his patient and tides him over and |
eyond the danger-line, fills his heart |
Nth sunshine and hope: yet at the same /
inc worships In the temple Of science |
ri contributes his sum-to,al OF obser-
alton and OF fact 10 swell the ever
Increasing volume OF medical knowledge |
Moses was the first hacteriologist, and
lple than three thousand years ago
~. af IT,.