The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1906-02-14
Health Commissioner DixOn's Free
Distribution of Antitoxin Greatly
Reduces Death Rate Among
Poor In Pennsylvania


showing 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.8 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
tb nf tho nf tho Irnod dicaaGa
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
practiced eye mean Diphtheria, he
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 walt
and see if any of these other children
develop the symptoms of the disease.
He may Immediately secure from the
States free distributing depots suffi-
cient Antitoxin to immunize every one
of the little ones, and the older men,
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 1t 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 If the Anti
toxin had been administered earlier.
and in some cases more literally, a
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 to 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. F. Mcdonald, of Lawrence
county, writes to the commissioner:
81 am enclosing clinical report of the
household of diphtherla treated with
the department Antitoxin. The results
were very gratifying. l feel that the
furnishing Of such for the poor is a
boon to scientific medicine, great aid
to the physicians of the state, and a
very much needed charity to the poor"
ut 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.
81 am sure the Antitoxin has saved
the life Of the patient" writes DR.. N.
Ziegenfuss, Of South Bethlehem, on the
bottom of one of his clinical reports
received by the commissioner.
DR.. ]. B. Tweedle, of Carbon county,
tells of being called into a household
where six children were down with
diphtheria and adds on his report "the
children all recovered and are doing
we'll"
Let me express my opinion that this
is Godssnd for the poor. The par
ents of my patients send thanks to you
and all connected" is the testimony of
Dr. George III. Tibbins, of Wyoming
county to the value of the states free
Antitoxin.
At the 500 different points through
out the state where Health Commits
sioner Dixon has established depot
or distribution, tnere is kept supply
of fresh Antitoxin that can be drawn
upon Immediately by the physician
whenever he has case of diphtheria
in family that cannot afford to bear
the expense of the serum. The system
of keeping these depots supplied SO
that no valuable time may be lost in
administering the Antitoxin, has been
carefully worked out by the Depart
.....4 IL II.nILh md IL, ..I..iarnr