Rocky Ford enterprise., 1899-12-21
Thr rrryentIoa OF pIphthcrin.

Diph,horia ~ disease which mani.
frs;s itself especially In tho throat. II
- at times mn exceedingly fatal disease
sud causes tho death Of large number
olihptc aiTcs,cl. A; other iim,s It Is
exceedingly mild in its conrsc. bu. the
mild cases are us much u source OF dan.
ger 10 o,hcm IN the severe ouca. The
disease is especially prevalent anon.
children. II is 30 dangerous aud 10 dii.
flcnlt OF Identification ,ha, every sorc
ihroa, should bc regarded as suspicious,
aud tho person suffering from it kcp, ou,
of school until the throat has b,rn cx-
aminri 10y competent person and the
nature of tho sickness determined.
Tho State Bonrl Of Health is prepared
10 determine absolutely the cxis;caco OF
diplthCria by microscopic examination
of tho secretion Of tho thtJa;. aud this
examination will bc made at the rclucsi
of any citizen without charge.
DIR. q. W. Phillips has been supplied
10y III. Stat. Board Of Health with nee.
cssary outfits for taking cultures from
the throat=. These cultures should be-
taken IN all suspicious cases. aDi sent
direct to DR.. Wm. q. Mitchell, Cailfor.
nin Building. Denver. WHO will examine
them aud make report. 4 report can he
had within - hours from tho time the
culture reaches Denver.
Children from houses in which iiph.
tacria has occurred should not bc al
lowci To resume school attendance un.
I'll two weeks after tue microscope has
shown the throat Of the sick person to be
free from diphthcria germs as certified TO
by DIR. Mitchell.
General preventive measures in the
school room are Of ~ much Importance
as definite action in specific cases. In.
quiry should bc made in all cases OF alb.
scncc from school as to the cause OF nb.
scncc. and IL sickness Of the child or
sickness in tho family il given rs u
reason, satisfactory evidence should be
required that the sickness was not OF n
contagious nature. In case where donb,
exists. the health authorities should be
communicated with. Books supplied to
families where contagious disease has ex.
listed should be ut once collected and de.
stroyed, as il is impossible to properly
disintect books.
Mouth.to.mouth infection Is perhaps
the most common method by which the
contagious diseases Of children are com.
municatcd. II is important, therefore.
tnut Hli nablts WHICH tenu 10 iHCilitalC
mouth.to.mouth infection should be
avoided. Examples OF this are the lend.
ing of pencils "a child almost invariably
moistens the pencil point with the sail.
val, the cleansing OF states with saliva,
drinking from common cups, trading
chewing gum, taking bites from each
others apples. and many other childish
and ignorant methods OF conveying in.
fcction.
In the cloak room each child should
have its own hook for hat and wrap, and
there should be enough space so that
one child's clothing need not hang over
that of another child. In addition the
cloak room should be well ventilated.
and window kept open in it at ali
times.
The earnest cooperation of every cit.
izen is necessary to prevent further
spread OF this disease. II cannot be too
strongly emphasized that every new case
of diphthcria is the result OF some ones
carelessness. The earnest cooperation
of every one is invited.
q. T.. TYLER. NJ. ID.
Sec. State Board OF Health