Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1901-03-28
GREAT IS ANTIT0XIN
CHICAGO health DEPARTMENT
GOOD REPORT.
RECORD OF FIVE YEARS
Death Rate From Diphtheria and All.
Group Lowered Nearly Forty.Two
Per Cent,---Suecess not Exagger-
ated-Grateful News for Parents.

AuutoNin treatment Of diphthoria
ranks with vaccination as a lile-savcr
according to the results of five years
use by the Chicago health depart
mout These results are set forth in
the monthly report of the department.
showing benefits which the depart
mont admits will strike the average
reader as incredible" Taking the leg.
islatye value of human life $4,000
AS a basis, it is estimated that with
in the last five years the use of anti
toxin has saved the sum of 22,7S0 900
in Chicago, the saving in the last year
being placed at $5,900OOO.
Five years ago the department I'M
dcrtool, the treatment Of diphtberia
and aIl-croup with antitoXin. II is
largely due to the persistence with
which the department urged and
practiced the use of the preventive
that there are now a larger number
of physicians using anttoXin in Chi
cago than in any other city of the
world.
When the department began to use
antitoXin the annual average Of deaths
in the city from diphthcria and all.
Group was 1882. For the five years
preceding the undertaking the aggre.
gate of deaths from these causes had
been AN. The general results at,
tending the undertaking are summed
mp in the statement that for five years
since that period the aggregate Of
deaths was 1900. The annual NOR
tality rate before was 1923 per 10000
Of population; that Of the period fol-
lowing was 5.45 per 10000 Of popula-
ton These figures show q reduction
in the fiveyear anttoXin period from
the fiye.year pre-antitoxin period OF
nearly ~ per cent in the actual mum
Der Of deaths. and Of nearly 81 per
cent, in the mortality rate of this class
Of deaths
These figures will strike the aver
age reader as incredible" is the Ian
guage OF the report prepared by
Health Commissioner Reynolds, and
yet they are an understatcment
rather than an exaggeration. Few,
even of those directly engaged In the
work, realize the enormous financial
interests involved in sanitary science
and preventive medicine-to whose
domain the antitoxin treatment OF
diphtheria belongs not less distinctly
than does vaccination against small.
pox."
The health department undertook
the treatment Of dlphtheria among the
poor and destitute OF the city in Octo.
Der, ls95-among those unable to pay
for medical attendance and for whom
at the time there was only the provi-
sion afforded by the overcrowded
wards OF the county hospital At the
close Of the five-year period the re.
suits show: Cases intubated, 585.
intubated cases recovered, All: per
cent. recovered, 1929: per cent died,
267l; treated with immunizing doses,
1881; subsequently attacked, 25; per
cent. Of cases subsequently attacked.
0.51.
During this period the total number
OF cases reported was 1853, Of which
number $3.50 were bacterially veri-
fed as true diphtheria. There were
5,727 cases teated with antitoxln, the
remaining 255 either refusing antitox.
In or being treated by other physi-
clans, In which cases the results were
not known. or the cases treated by
the health department 1898 recovered
and 3e9 died
These results are attributed by the