Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-22

The special danger Of lockjaw from
wounds incurred in the use of blank
cartridges. pistols, toy cannons. fire.
crackers, and other noise producing de-
vices is pointed out in the current issue
of the public health reports.
Under the direction of Surgeon General
Wyman, with the approval of the Secre-
tary of the Treasury. a special study of
the subject has been made by DR.. John
F.. Anderson of the public health and
marine hospital service. The cost to the
nation in lives and injuries due to Fourth
of July accidents is made evident by a
review of statistics.
That the public already realizes the
great danger from blank cartridges is in
Dictated by the decrease in the number of
accidents during the last few years. The
number OF cases of tetanus following the
celebration Of the 4th diminished from
As in 1903 to % in 1907. as the result of
the use Of that efficacious preventive
against lockjaw-tetanus antitoxin.
721 Deaths in Five Years.
AS result of the celebration of INDIE
pendence day during the past five years.
there were 7S6 cases of lockjaw, with 721
deaths, Cos due to blank cartridge wounds.
The number Of cases of lockjaw follow
ing blank cartridge wounds has steadily
decreased from 1853 in 1903 to 50 in 1907.
while the cases following other wounds
have remained fairly constant.
The germ Of lockjaw is found especially
in garden earth, the dust of streets.
stables and human habitations. The
question of the presence or absence of
these germs in blank cartridge wounds
has given rise to much discussion.
The weight Of evidence has certainly
favored the view that blank cartridges do
fai of
rare contamination when they have been
exposed to dirt. There is ample evidence
that the germ is present in the street dirt.
from which it gets on the skin and cloth
into the wound by the discharge of the
pistol.
Incubation Period.
The time that passes from the receipt
Of the wound until the breaking out of
the disease Is known as the incubation
period and may be from four to five days
to several weeks.
The shorter the incubation period the
greater the danger of death. II the period
is four or five days. death frequently oc-
ours in from one to three days. The more
prolonged the period, the better the
chances of recovery.
The few cases Of lockjaw that do re-
cover are almost invariably those in
or more. Those in whom the disease
sets in early nearly all die. the death
rate being from 80 per cent to IS per
cent.
The importance Of the proper treatment
of the 4th of July wounds of all kinds is
insisted upon. The administration of
preventive dose Of tetanus antitoxin is
pointed out as the most important part
of the whole treatment.
Figures are given to show that in st.
Louis in 1903. when no tetanus anti
toxin was used, 16 out of Sc cases of 4th
Of July injured treated. died from lock-
jaw, while in 1906 10 cases of similar
injuries were treated, antitoxin being
used without a single death from this
terrifying disease.
Remedy Under Federal Control.
The remedy, tetanus antitoxin, is now
under federal control Until recently
there was no official standard in the
United States for testing tetanus anti
toxin. Each manufacturer had his own
arbitrary method of determining the po-
tency of his product.
Last year a unit was established. and
there is now uniformity in the product
Its manufacture is permitted only by
firms who have received a license there
for from the Secretary of the Treasury
after critical inspection of the estab-
lishment and approval of the methods
of the public health and marine hospital
service
With a view to restricting the lamenta-
BILE accidents that occur with every 4th
of July celebration, the Importance is
insisted upon of the passage of municipal
laws in all parts OF the country restrict
ing the sale of firearms and ammunition.
and absolutely prohibiting the sale of
blank cartridges. toy cannons and giant
firecrankerS