Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1906-06-28

The free distribution of Diphtheria
Antitoxin inaugurated by DR.. Samuel
G. Dixon, Commissioner of the new
State Department of Health, is already
showing a splendid saving of precious
lives. Out OF the total number of cases
reported to the Department of Health
in January in which the free Antitoxin
was administered there were so few
deaths as to bring the death rate down
to S.S per cent This was a reduction
Of over per cent. from the December
! figures. This low death rate as shown
by the January records means that in
stead of about AZ lives being lost out
of every hundred cases of Diphtheria,
as would be found where Antitoxin is
not used, the disease was able to claim
only about nine victims. 1t means
that instead of 420 deaths out of every
1000 cases of Diphtheria, the death
rate is brought down by the free dis.
tribution of Antitoxin to SO.
| Health Commissioner Dixon feels
confident that as the custom of free
distribution of Antitoxin becomes
more thoroughly established and the
physicians of the State use the serum
more promptly after the onset of the
| disease and in more liberal doses, the
death rate will go far lower
| From city town and country village
all over the big State of Pennsylvania
the physicians are sending in their re.
ports that tell the story of little chill
/ dren stricken down by Diphtheria, and
then OF the arrest of the dread disease
by the administering of the wonderful
1 phylactic-Antitoxin Dread disease
I it hardly need be called any longer,
I for the hand of death that was for
merly thought to have the little child
| surely in its grasp. the moment that
Diphtheria was diagnosed, has now
lost its power.
At the time that the State Depart
ment of Health is supplying Antitoxin
| for curative purposes, it is also fur
! nishing the serum for immuniZing.
! When the family physician is called
/ into the humble home and reads upon
the child's throat the signs that to his
( practiced eye mean Diphtheria, he
knows also that the little brothers and
listers of the sick child have by this
4 time probably been exposed to the
disease and may be stricken down at
any moment. No need for him to wait
and see if any Of these other children
( develop the symptoms of the disease.
4 He may Immediately secure from the
/ States free distributing depots suffi-
cient Antitoxin to immunize every one
of the little ones. and the older mem
bers of the household, too, who have
\ been exposed to the infection. >.
1t is now the aim of the Health Com
missioner to impress upon the physi-
clans of the State the great import
ance Of administering the Antitoxin in
curative doses as soon as possible af-
ter the onset of the disease, and the
immunizing doses as soon as it is
known that other children of the
household have been in any way ex-
posed to the disease. The Importance
of this early use is shown very clearly
in the clinical reports that the State
Department of Health receives in
cases where the free AntitoXin has
been used. The January records show
in more than one case that ii the Anti
toxin had been administered earlier.
and in some cases more literally, a
life might have been saved.
N II IN IT