Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1906-02-22
STATE ANTlTOXIN
SAVES MANY LIVES
Health Commission Dixon's Free
Distribution of AntitOxin Greatly
Reduces Death Rate Among
Poor In Pennsylvania.
EARLY USE OF SERUM URGED


Dr.. Dixon Points Cut the Increased
Benefit of Using Antitoxin AS Soon
AS Possible After the Onset of the
Disease Use Literally For I'M
munizing.
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 S8 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 SS.
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
hylactic-Antitoxin. Dread disease
it hardly need be called any longer,
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
ar,. 10
knows also that the little brothers and
sisters of the sick child have by this
time probably been exposed to the
disease and may be stricken down at
any moment. No need for him to wait
and see II any Of these other children
develop the symptoms OF the disease.
He may Immediately secure from the
States free distributing dspots 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 tie phvsi.
clans of the state the great Import.
ance OF administering tie Antitosin il
curative doses as soon as possible as
ter the onset of the disease. and tha
immunizing doses as soon as it ts
known that other children of the
household have hean 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 If the Anti
toxin had been administered earlier,
and in some cases more literally,
life might have been saved.
DR.. Dixon greatly appreciates the CO.
operation he is getting from his fellow
physicians throughout the state in Sc
curing 10 the people the full benefits
of the free distribution of Diphtheria
Antitoxin. On their part the physicians
are daily telling Of the benefits expert
enced by them in their practices.
DR. s. +. Mcdonald. of Lawrence
county. writes to the commissioner:
Il am enclosing clinical report of the
household of diphtheria treated with
the department AntitoXin. The results
were very gratifying. feel that the
furnishing of such for the poor Is
boon to scientific medicine, a great aid
to the physicians of the state and
very much needed charity to the poor"
"It was a matter of life or death with
his patients" writes Distributor
Houck, Of Shenandoah. in telling of the
rush of physician to his depot for the
purpose OF securing package of States
Antitoxin.
Il am sure the Antitoxin has saved
the life OF the patient" writes Dr. ".
Zlegenfuss, Of South Bethlehem. on the
bottom of one of his clinical reports
received by the commissioner