The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1899-07-18
LOCkJAW VICTIMS
Terrible Suffering of Those AT
iiCted-SOme Of It's
symptoms.


July most alarming epidemic Of lock
law has developed in the East Scatter
ing reports from various places, publish
e5 from day to day in the newspapers
show that thirty-s.x persons have sue
cumbed to this terrible malady. while
sevral hundred are under treatment.
The majority Of the victims are child
rem who celebrated independence Day
rechessiy with toy pistols and giant fire.
crackers. receiving wounds which devef-
oped into iockjaw.
Medical statistics show that the NOR
tality from this disease. about which
little is really known, is between $ and
20 per cent Many Of the victims OF the
last fortnight were neglected under the
impression that they were suffering from
neuralgia OF the grip, and It was not un'
ia the newspapes began 90 coilate the re-
turns that the alarm was sounded. Te-
tanus or lockjaw is caused by a bacillus
or germ Of poisonous character,
which gains access TO the blood through
what may appear to be trivial scratch
or prick
1t is "a sreat mistake TO take chances
with such surface abraisons, Even or
binary antiseptics have no influence on
the baccllus OF lockjaw It Is therefore
no use 10 wash a suspected wound in
diluted carbolc acid The thing to use
is the tlncture of iodine, and it should
be painted thick over the wound. once
the bacillus OF lockjaw gets into the
blood--and it may be introduced through
the merest scratch and a bit Of dirt
heroic treatment is necessary. Home
remedies won't do.
SYMPTOMS OF TETANUs
Lockjaw makes its appearance in from
one to six days after the mlcrobs have en-
tered the body. The fact that the wound
has healed at once does not preclude the
subsequent danger OF tetanus The germs
grow in tho slightest inammation thar
hrst appear around the rapidly healing
spot. The first symptoms are usually
not noticed, for they generally consist
Of such slight muscular aches and might
be caused by running up a Night OF stairs
or by lifting some moderately heavy
weight The next symptom-and this Is
the one that Is usually noticed arst-is
a slight neuralgia on one or both sides
of the face This is followed after a few
hours by a feeling Of stiffness IN the mus
Giles which connect the Jaw and neck and
20 assume that he has been sitting In a
draft
Gradually the stiffness spread untIl the
in his body feels as IL It had been bruised
His friends. unless their suspicion has
t-,a aroued, Will think he has the grip
After twenty-four hours the patient 4.
likely TO discover 10y an abortive attempt
10 yawn, that he cannot open his mouth
a. wide as usual
Perhaps. while he T. wondering AT this
peculiar circumstance some onA will
bang door or drop a book Instantlv
me Jaws Of the sufferer will close with a
snap and the big and powerful muscles
at the side Of the face viii be drawn
into ,-nse knots. II the Jaw has been
affected by some sudden start. then
some other muscle will be sharply cramp-
ed
| From that point the course Of the dis
ease is rapid There will be excruciat-
ingly painful cramps in first one set Of
muscles. then In another The locking
or the Jaws may not be constant bpt
whenever Il occurs the muscles IN the
Side Of the face VIII be swelled into knots
and the pain viii be acute. At the same
time the spasms viii seize upon the
muscles surrounding the lips and draw
them back into horrible grin resembling
the snarl OF a wild beast This was one
OF the chief reasons for the confusion
that formerly existed regarding the dif-
ference between ttanus and hydrophobia
DREADFUL TORTUREs
No torture that mans ingenuity has ev-
er devised for man IS one thousandth
part as aradful as that saused by lock.
Jaw. The patient IN the agonies OF a &c.
tanic convulsion Is one OF the most heart
rending sights known 20 a doctor He
seems 20 embody in his racked frame the
pains of hundred deaths. The scene
Is not the less painful because the suf-
ferer is dumb
Recovery " it come comes very slow
ly' ana the person who has suffered from
ne disease Is thereafter usually ner,,-
Gus wreck Death. when Il comes a. EN-
pTaced by the sufferer and almost well
coined by those who have loved him. n
comes At the climax OF the worst spasm
the life being literally wrenched from
the maTtyred body There is limit he
yond which human endurance cannot 20
ana II Is the exhaustion OF pain and moi
the lack Of nutriment which brings seatb
10 the victim OF iockjaw
In the old days tetanus. ike hydropho-
pa was treated by large doses of opium
ehloral and other opiates. An earlier
remedy consisted IN putting the patient
between two featherbeds. and as q sup
posed measure Of humanity smother
aim 70 death
To guard against ioekjaw. one needs
only be ordinarily careful remembering
that ascratch OF a splinter may result IN
the disease, and acting accordingly
simlA July i7-Lord CurEoa victory Of
India, will start on q tour Of Central In