The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1917-10-27
SORE THRoArs ARE DANGEROUS.

Sore Threats Of all kinds should be
considered as diphtheria until proved
that they are not diphtheria-
Most of the contagious diseases are
contracted through the breathing tract,
that is, through the mouth, nose or
throat. Many disease germs can and
do enter the throat on raw foods, in
liquids drank and in some instances in
air breathed or swallowed.
When diphthAia is as prevalent in
Chicago as it is now, the chances are
when you have a sore throat that you
have a beginning case of diphtheria.
1t makes no difference how slight the
soreness of the throat is, doctor should
be called at once. Don't 60 to his Of
fee where you may possibly convey the
disease to others. Have him come to
your home. If the doctor says it is
nothing dangerous, ask him to play safe
and treat it as diphtheria while he is
proving that it is not diphtheria. BY
following this method you can save
your life. Yoy may lose it by neglect
ing it.
Diphtheria is 100 per cent durable
This means that there is a known rem
edy for diphtheria, if only it is applied
soon enough. 1t is important that treat
ment should be begun on the very first
day of the attack. After the fourth
day and when it is known to be diph-
liberia, the treatment may fail.
In 100 deaths that were investigated
by the Department of Health, it was
found that the fault of these deaths
was about equally divided between the
parents, who neglected to call the doc
tor soon enough and the doctor who,
when called, did not treat the case as
diphtheria, but waited to find out.
1t is true that a sore throat may be
only tonsilitis, but don't call it tonsil-
tits. Call it diphtheria until it has been
clearly proven that it is not diphtheria.
This cannot be emphasized too much, for
the reason that no one will be killed by
calling tonsilitis diphtheria; but many
are killed by calling diphtheria tonsil-
tits. The important thing is to play
safe. Twenty-four hours delay in
diphtheria usually means death. The
disregard of slight sore threats kills
hundreds of children in Chicago every
year.
What are some of the important
things that we should do to prevent
diphtheriai Here they are:
Q) All cases and suspected cases of
diphtheria should be promptly reported
to the Department of Health. Throat
cultures should be taken and sent to the
Department Laboratory for microscop-
ical examination.
(2) All cases should be either hos
pitaliZed or quarantined. Hospitaliza-
tion is always better than any other
quarantine that may be established in
the home. The home quarantine should
be such as to protect the community.
The patient should be quarantined away
from other members of the family and
only the necessary attendants be ex-
posed to the disease. No one but the
doctor should enter or leave, who in
any way is in the room with the patient.
Members of the family who have been
in contact with the patient should be
given an immunizing dose of antitoxin.
We conclude, then, with these injune-
tons:
Do not neglect a slight sore throat.
Call the doctor early.
Do not allow the child that complains |
If a sore throat to 60 to school. Keep |
t at home until an examination has |
been made and the cause of the sore
.hroat determined.
Have antitoxin administered at the |
earliest possible moment.
By doing these, the spread of diph-
iberia may be prevented and hundreds
# lives saved.