The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1901-05-23
DEADLY LOCKJAW GERM
ODD WAYS IN WHICH TENANuS NAY
ENTER THE SYSTEM.

able beast. It is inSeDarable from
dirt. Dirty hands. lurking bacillus. a
scratch or cut-and the mischief is
done declares writer in the New
York Sun.
The unenlightened public persists IN
associating all lockiaw with rusty
nails. and quite refuses to accept the
bacillus that was formally introduced
in 1885. AS a matter OF fact, the
nails only function is the making OF
a wound through which the poison
can enter the system. and an oyster
shell or a toy pistol can serve the
purpose of the bacillus quite as well
as q nail.
Why this bacillus should be espe-
cially prevalent in certain localities
scientists do not explain. but the fact
remains. The Shrewsbury river is a
happy hunting ground for the beast,
and a clam shell cut of the mud, down
there. may inflict scratch that Will
mean death. All Long Island mud IS
full Of the bacillus. and the fact that
Long Island children live to grow up
would speak volumes for their clean
illness. were it not that exposure to
sunlight kills the bacillus Immediate
IL, and 80 the sun fights for the pres
ervation of the Long Island species.
New York itself isn't inhospitable to
the tetanus bacillus. In 1899 there
were 80 deaths from lockiaw in New
York City and it's vicinity. many OF
the cases being due to accidental
wounds made by toy pistols on the
Fourth of July. The pistol wounds in
themselves would net have bothered
the small boys more than on any
other Fourth. Probably there were no
more of the wounds than there usually
are on that glorious day; but. un-
luckily for the owners Of the pistols,
lockjaw bacilli were out in tremen-
dous numbers that season and seized
the opportunity offered by the pistol
wounds. No hoy can celebrate the Dec
laration Of independence properly
and keep his hands clean. so there
was no escaping the lurking foe.
Last year two cases of lock]aW IN
this city were due to abrasions on the
head, caused by diving in shallow
water. The diver in each case struck
his head against simething sharp on
the river bottom. and the bacillus il
the mud entered through the cut,
causing lockiaw within few hours,
A wound upon the face or head. If
affected by the bacillus. will be more
dangerous than a wound upon the foot
or hand. The poisoning develops
more rapidly and is more violent in
form. A large majority of lockjaw
cases originate in the feet or hands
of the sufferers because those parts
of the body are most exposed.
In warm climates the disease is
more common than in colder locali-
ties, not because the germ revels In
heat, but because the feet are less
heavily shod in warm countries and
so are more liable to injury.
For the same reason in the south,
more Negroes than Caucasians have
lockjaw. The Negro makes practice
of going barefoot and his feet are fire.
quently scratched or cut. IN one re-
cent mild case of tetanus poison,
caused by stepping upon a nail.
New York doctor analysed leather
scrapings taken from the shoe. around
the point of incision. and found them
full of tetanus bacilli which had been
! rubbed from the nail in it's passage
through the thick leather. Had the
patients foot been bare. the germs
would have entered the wound.
Another New York doctor tells of
several cases of lockjaw which he has
treated, while at his summer home,
and which have been caused by the
| introduction of the tetanus bacillus
through wounds made by the horns OF
| catfish.
81 have known of tetanus poisoning
from cuts made by fish fms and from
| lobster claws and from oyster or clam
SHE'LL" said the doctor to a Sun report
er, "and I'd advise any one to suck a
wound like that vigorously, the instant
it is made. The poison isn't ordinarily
| on the fish or the shell, but it is on the
! dirty hands. and fisherman is pretty
likely to have dirty hands and to get
occasional scratches ir handling fish.
| The mosquito carries the tetanus
bacillus along with other germs. and
in localities where the bacillus is
J plentiful cases of lockiaw for which
no cause could at first be found have
been traced to mosquito bites.
In violent cases of lockiaw the poi
son toxine may develop and produce
alarming symptoms within a few
hours after the entrance Of the bacil-
lus into the blood, but in most cases
the development is slow at the outset.
The trouble shows firs. in a soreness
| and stiffness of the side neck muscles,
and gradually slight spasms of the
| muscles appear.
These spasms increase in violence,
and extend to the muscles at the back
| of the neck. and then to the entire
| spine and trunk The abdominal and
| chest muscles become rigid. and the
| spine is ordinarily curved. The face
takes on grimaces. with the forehead
| furrowed, the angles of the mouth
| drawn back into a grin. and the jaw
firmly set; and this facial expression,
| in connection with the hoarse noise
made by the sufferer, renders case
| Of violent tetanus poisoning one of
! the most frightful sights in the range
| Of medical experience. Chronic cen.
vulsions sweep over he body. at inter.
walls more and more frequent. as the
| case becomes more violent. The
| slightest noise or jar or even a current
| Of air being enough to bring on one
| Of the sDasms. It is only during these
! commissions that the patient suffers
| rain.
! Mild cases may last several weeks;
but in acute cases. death occurs in
from one to seven days, and then NOR
| tality is very high. It is estimated
| that about 80 percent of the cases end