The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-04
THE LocNJAw GERM AT MoNTAUK
Tradition Says That IL Abounds
There-How IL Lives and Develops.


From the New York Tribune.
The belief that lockjaw Is endemic on
the eastern end of Long Island is one
which dates back for many year, and the
establishment of Camp WilSoff at Montauk
has only served to bring the local tradi-
lions of the disease into more prominent
notice. Although it has been denied that
lockiaw depends upon locality, it is well
known to physicians who have investigat-
ed the subject thai it is more prevalent in
certain districts than in others, and while
they cannot account precisely for this,
observation has confirmed its truth. A
well known bacteriologist of the health
board said, in speaking of The present dis
cussion:
Ever since have been connected with
this work ! have heard of the peculiar
prevalence of tetanus or lockjaw, in that
part of Long Island, just as l have heard
of other localities where it seemed more
common than throughout the country in
general That is not saying you know,
that il occurs even i'm those places with
what could be called frequency; 1t is real
ly a rather rare disease everywhere.
Exactly how the teianus germ gets in
to inc earth is not known but ID is sup
posed that it finds its way into the soil
through manure deposits. AS ii lies there
the germ consists only of the tiny, hard
spore, which forms the end of the rod
shaped complete bacillus This spore is
very tenacious of life. 1t Will resist boil
ing for a minute or two, and will live for
an indefinite period when lying dry and
undisturbed In the earth. II is so small
that it would require al least 100000 of
har 10 no visible n ba n ave- In
the districts where lockjaw is found often
est there is probably something In the ma
ture of the soil particularly favorable to
the preserva lion of this spore AS for the
idea that freshly turned-up soil Increases
the danger of the disease, there may be
some truth in that, for this reason: The
spores, OF course, fall upon the surface Of
the earth and gradually work their way
downward. Those which remain on or
near the top may be rendered harmless by
the action of The sun, wind and rain, but
those which are buried at a good depth
are more carefully preserved. Then. when
the ground is ploughed up, they are ex-
posed in their fun vitality.
\ 1t Is not correct to say that tetanus is
caused by the spore which gets into the
wound. II is caused rather by the poison
which is generated IL that spore happens
to develop into a complete bacillus and to
set up an irritation in the cut, with dirt
and Other foreign ndller. II tetanuS
spores should chance to get into per-
fectly clean, incised wound, they would
very likely cause no trouble, but would be
carried out again undeveioped. 1t is in the
making of the wound that the danger us
ually lies If the instrument with which
the cut is inflicted is dirty or rusty and
if the wound Is ragged, so that dirt en-
tiers readily. the lockjaw germs may be
carried in with that dirt, and viii have a
good opportunity to grow and develop in
side, creating the poison.
There is little reason to suppose that
any of the soldiers now at Montauk will
have lockiaw, for, as / have been saying,
il needs just the right conditions 10 de-
velop. There would not be the least chance
of the germ getting into old wounds which
were partly healed such as those Of the
soldiers who have come from the South.
And II the surgeons should be obliged to
make fresh wounds in performing opera
lions why, they would be sharp and
clean, thoroughly washed with antisep-
tics. So the only possible cases Of lock-
jaw would be from Jagged and dirty cuts,
when the men who are able TO go about
outdoors might happen to give themselves
and in that respect they would be in no
more danger than the regular inhabitants
Of the place Alarm on the subject is en-
tirely needless"