Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-11
TREATMENT OF LOCKJAw.
DIR. Duncan MncCnimnn Tells OF
the Dread Disease.
baltimore SUM

baltimore SUM
What will probably be the third case
OF tetanus, or loclSjaw. within three
months. was received at the Maryland
General Hospital Sunday night.
Two strongly-developed cases have been
treated and cured at the hospital In a
short time. the last being that OF Samuel
Warrington. an S-year-old boy, who ran a
splinter into his foot on July 18th and
was discharged as cured last Friday. The
first case was that OF John Galloway (col-
ored). who stuck a nail i'm his foot while
sweeping out stable about the middle
Of May. The present case Is that OF Ju-
Han Thompson (cOlOred), who. while nc
work Saturday az the Mt Royal pump
ing station. stuck a nail through his shoo
and wounded his foot Last night Thomp-
son was reported as having very ugly
looking wound, although IL is not yet GER
tain that he has case of tetanus.
The rarity OF the disease. and the sue
cess in treating it AT the hospital. have
caused wide interest in the first two
cases. DR. Duncan MacCalman, superin-
tendent of the hospital. In speaking ~
| lOciiaw and It's cure, said II is very
| rare disease i'm this country, and is found
mainly among young persons. "Tetanus
| is usually started from a wound. and the
| bacterial poison, which Is the cause, prin-
| cipaly affects the central nervous sys-
tenn" he said. THE symptoms are pecu-
liar. Generally the first Is n complaint
from the patient OF a stiff neck. and no
believes he has caught cold somehow.
The popular name OF 'locklaw II de-
rived from the contraction OF the mus
Giles OF the face and Jaw In such way
that the mouth can hardly be opened.
This Is usually the second symptom:
Then. as the disease gets stronger hold
on the man, various muscles become al
footed. lie experiences difficulty i'm
swallowing because OF the effect upon
the muscles OF the throat and larnyN.
Sometimes the head Is thrown far back
because Of the contraction OF the mus
cles OF the back and this has the effect
of curyng the spine. The muscles ~
| the chest and abdomen are also affected
AT an early stage. \ general Stiffness
grips the body and CONVERSIONS are FREE
quent These, In well developed case
| of tetanus, are caused by the most triiling
noises. A step ON a stair or the rustic
Of dress. "A breath Of air, or even ray
| OF light may be sufficient 20 throw
man. In the grasp OF this disease, into
violent commissions. singular thing
about tetanus Is that between the attacks
| the patient, TO all appearances, II per-
| fectly well
In treating tetanus, as you will UNDER
stand from the symptoms, great care must
| be exercised with regard 20 the food and
| the quetness of the surroundings. Every
Notwithstanding wound must be care
| fully dislntccted and Immediately upon
| the appearance OF the disease the patient
must be placed in a darkcned room and
kept entirely quiet. The great pain which
| is suffered can be relieved 70 some extoni
| by medicines. and the commissions can also
| be fought. The tetanus antitOXin has
| been, / believe. used with "A great deal 81
success although there Is considerable ~
! hope still from this treatment. some for.
| egn physicians claim large percentages
| Of cures from carbOlic acid. Although the
| disease Is rare. IL has appeared. l believe
| IN epidemic form. The tetanus germ was
discovered about fourteen years ago by
a man named NicOlaier. liz IL frequently
nails"