New-York tribune., 1899-07-15
LOCKJAW HAS NEW VICTIMS
BOYS STRICKEN SUDDENLY DIE BEFORE
ANYTHING CAN BE DONE.
OVER THIRTY CASES REPORTED IN AND NEAR
THE CIrY-DocToRs UNABLE TO TREAT

THE CITY-DOCTORs UNABLE TO TREAT
1T EFFECTIVELY.
Tho death roll of the victims OF lockjaw as
the result Of wounds inflicted on the Fourth OF
July is steadily lengthening and with the
deaths reported yesterday now sums up TOTAL
of over thirty. When it is considered that only
from one 10 five deaths yearly have heretofore
occurred IL can be readily seen what large
increase this number really means II Is eX-
tremely difficult 10 get the leading members OF
the medical profession 10 allow themselves 10
he quoted on this any other subject. As one
OF them put it yesterday: III lawyer or mem
Der Of any OF the other professions talks II Is
all right and he is not criticised for SO doihs
but Let q doctor or surgeon say anything at all IN
a newspaper and the entire medical PROFESSION
at once rises UP and accuses him OF seeming SEX
advertisement" For this reason the surgeon
in question would not permit the use OF MS
name in the following interview; with reser-
vations concerning the character or the disease
tetanus might be spoken Of, at present as cpl
demic II seems to be so in effect in the last
three or four weeks when large numoer Oh
cases have been observed in the city, where at
o+ber times there have not been more than
from one 10 five cases year From thls TACT
ora NAV perhaps he allowed TO infer greater
time II must be remembered, however, that
tetanus. by the laity called lockjaw, because
lockiaw is generally one Of the first symptoms
of the disease is not contagious disease; tnat
means that it will not and does not spread as
do dinhtheria and scarlet fever. The bacilli
~ tetanus enter the system at the primary
! lesion at once or afterward. and 1t follows that
ratients cannot he too much cautioned to have
wounds no matter how slight properly at
tended 10 AT this time.
DR. II p Loomis said
! "Tetanus is always present on the east shores
! Of Long Island Something in the SOIL there
! seems IN favor the development OF the germ
! In hot climates the disease is common. ana oo
ner cent Of the children die Of It, but there Is
Nothing in the theory that in those climates
there need be no lesion prior to the appearance
~ the disease There always must he lesion
although il may he small as 10 be overlooked
In Europe in Pasteurs laboratory serum mas
been successfully used. and the best results, II
any. are promised at the present time from 'il's
treatment. When a patient is sunerihs rum
th,s disease the slightest motion in the room
or the least draft OF air Will send MIN INTO co'-
vulsions."
~ Nav Never the microscopic Of the Board
- 1,oaI+h docs not think that there is 40 grea I
| an increase of the disease as is reported "diu
he yesterday: ,o-,o i,crease In
II think that this talk OF large lnCreaae a' -, -,
! 49,, ru-obar ~ cases OF tetanus is largely due 70
the papers giving II undue prominence ana % Re 5
! norting every case In former years II mas a.
ways existed at this time oil lne Seai, tma'taG W.
| a-tjc,,lar note was made OF H. and j. attracted
| but little attention. Now it is different ana l
| am a little afraid the undue prominence gwen
| q bv the papers may have increased the spread
| of The disease BY that l mean that II ma!
deleteriously affect the nerve and the heaitn II Oh
! those already ill., II you should nnd OUT ina
n
| dinhtheria for instance you would undouoteuIy ,
/ leave that car in haste. and II the person hau
| smallpox your haste would be great enough ~
5nstro,, vour dignity. and afterward you would
he extremely nervous until a length OF time nal
elapsed This state Of nervousness renders you
liable TO disease. and so II is win the IocHyaN
natinnts one having what might be slight
attack otherwise could easily worry hmseli iilo
a fatal Illness"