The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-10-10
SCIENCE VERSUS DIPHTHERlA,
BY STATE BOARD OF HEALTH

that her enid has diphtheria. It's
progress is so rapid that death quick
ly follows, unless effective treatment
is promptly administered. But science
is preventing the ravages OF diph-
iberia, Just as it is granting immunity
against typhoid and yellow fever
Precaution against diphtheria by Civ
ing immunizing doses of diphthcria
anti-toXine is what saves life. The
New York City health department has
accurate statistics showing that in
more than $4,000 cases in which i'm
munizing doses were given only 49,
or > per cent, developed diphtheria
ana of those 1872 cases only one died
Science has never rendered a finer
service to humanity.
niphtheria is an acute infectious
disease caused by the Elebe-Loefflar
bacillus, which grows upon any ma
cous and upon the skin itself whea
the epidermis has been removed The
bacillus is sometimes found in the
blood. These germs generate Il toxin
or poison at the point of infection
This poison is absorbed by the lynn
phatic glands, from which it enters
the blood and is carried to all paris
of the body, affecting every tissue
and every organ. At places of infec.
ton where germs grow, a false mem
brane is formed. There is no such
disease as "membranous crop" Be
ware of anything resembling it.
Excessive rainfall and dampness,
unusual quantities of decaying yege-
tation, and poor sanitary methods in
many localities during the last six
months have exposed Oklahoma to
outbreaks of diphtheria during the
ensuing fall and winter, according TO
Health Commissioner Duke. All un-
cleanly conditions that breed disease
should be destroyed, and in all homes
there should be liberal use of disin-
fectants, with lots of sunshine and
ventilation.
The appearance of a case of diph-
liberia in a neighborhood should be
met as quickly as an outbreak of fire.
In addition to rigid quarantine of
cases, it is often an exercise of the
urpatact uyicdon, 70 in,,ur;,o IL ot,1
dren in public schools, which should
be closed if there is apparent danger
OF an epidemic.
For all persons more than one ye r
of age, the immuniZing dose should
never be less than / 900 units, aud
where there has been exposure to in
fection for five or six days, the dose
should be $1,000 units. In infants
less than one year and more than
six months old should receive from
500 to 1000 units, from which the
dose may be graduated to 100 units
for a baby only a few days old The
anti-toXine is harmless. Failure to
use it is generally fatal. Diphtheria
destroys both the old and the young.
Parents should know that enlarged
tonsils and adenoids, common among
children, predispOse to innammatory
conditions of the throat and that even
under normal conditions it is best to
remove them. But this should not be
done during an epidemic OF diph-
iberia, as the raw surface of the
temporary wound due to the opera
tion is extremely susceptible to in
fection by the diphtheria germ.
If diphtheria should enter house
hold, the latter should be instantly
and rigidy quarantined Preferably
the patient should be sent to a hos
pital The quarantine should include
all persons in whom the bacili are
present The patient should be kept
in a room that can be cut off from
all other rooms. The ventilation
should be good with plenty of sun
shine and fresh hair All rugs, car
pets, curtains. and unnecessary arti-
cles of furniture should be removed
and carefully disinfected This m
cludes all animal pets. No food
should be allowed to stand in the
room, nor visitors allowed Only those
in charge of the patient should be
admitted to the room. All toys or
playthings should be thoroughly d IS
infected or burned at the termination
of the disease. ENpectoration should
be upon clothes. all burned. or placed
in a five-per cent carbolic acid solu-
tion until they can be burned. Bed
clothing. etc. should be placed in this
solution and then thoroughly boiled
The best available physician should
be called the moment diphtheria IS
suspected. If the symptoms are con
fusing at first. waste no time. but
auti-toNine at ouce This