The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-11-17
PARENTS MUST
BE ON GUARD
Warning Sounded by Health
Commissioner King.
VIRULENCE OF DIPHTHERIA
DEATHS WITHIN A DAY IN SEW
ERAL CASES.
VIRULENCE OF DIPHTHERII

That this city is approaching the
time when the dread disease of diph-
iberia Will be as fatal in its sweep as
it was a dozen or more years ago, is
the opinion of several physicians who
have watched the spread OF the con-
tagion. As stated by Health Commits
sioner King yesterday. the disease Of
diphtheria is uncommonly prevalent
throughout the United States this fall,
and it is of an extremely virulent type,
These epidemics invariably come in
cycles. he added, and too many pre-
cautions cannot be taken to minimize
the consequences of the plague.
Last week, according to the report of
the health department. there were six
deaths from diphtheria. out Of seven
new cases reported for quarantine,
and there are still seventeen cases Of
the disease on the list.
Since Sept 1 seventy cases of this
cOntagiOn have developed and from
them there have been no less than
twenty deaths. Both Health Commits
sioner King and DR.. Whitney, the med
zeal inspector of the schools, agree that
the type of diphtheria now prevalent is
of a decidedly virulent character, and
prompt attention is necessary to save
the lives of the stricken ones.
Parents and others should not de-
lay 8 moment in calling their family
physician when a suspected case Of this
disease seems to be developing"
Health Commissioner King advises.
THE delay of a few hours is often
fatal. Some cases have developed very
quickly, within twelve hours, and death
resulted in a day. Anti-tOxine in large
doses, promptly applied. viii greatly
reduce the mortality rate. Culture
tubes are in general use by the doctors
to positively and in advance diagnose
the presence of diphtheria, and they
are of great utility"
Scarlet Fever and Typhoid.
Speaking of scarlet fever and ty-
phOid fever, the health commissioner
states that the former is not as mild
in character as it was last season and
the latter is more to be feared also
than formerly. Of scarlet fever, TWEEN
ty-one new cases were reported dur
ing the week. There were two deaths
and fffty-nine cases are yet under quar-
antine. There were two deaths from
typhoid fever and eight new cases re-
ported last week, leaving fifteen on
the list
Since Sept. / about $50 cases of scar
let feve7|lave developed and the deaths
from this cause have numbered only
FIVE. all since Nov. /. Of the ninety
eight cases of typhoid fever reported
during the past ten weeks eleven have
resulted fatally.
Contagion In Schools.
Medical Inspector Whitney states
that on Friday he examined about sew
enty-five suspected cases of contagious
disease among school children and dis
covered at least six cases of cOntagiOn,
one of them being a very bad case of
scarlet fever, which probably would
not have been otherwise detected so
soon.
The schools are a source of infection,
naturally, DR.. Whitney declares. and
in this he is concurred in by Dr. King,
who cites the fact of so many children
in the Hamilton district having scar
let fever and diphtheria, The promis-
cuOus handling of school books. pens,
pencils, and putting in the mouth what
another child has been chewing are
believed by the commissioner to be re-
sponsible for so great a spread of the
disease. Dr.. Whitney has reached the
conclusion that the exchange of milk
tickets without fumigation is also a
means of carrying infection.
DR.. Whitney has formed the opinion
that undertakeTs and drivers of fu-
neral carriages are lax in observing
quarantine regulations and following
disinfecting rules, and as a means of
preventing the spread of infection from
such sources he believes no funerals.
no matter how private, should be per-
mitted when the deaths are from con
tagiOus diseases