The St. Joseph observer., 1920-02-14

Was Expcrimented With.
To the editor of The Observer.-I
homicide is as common
as our daily bread, but It IS managed
so technically that It Is seldom observ-
ed by the laity. When II Is the occult !
spasms IL produces are ameliorated |
by faulty serum salve,
II life is ruined, or put out by /
or by drugs, or by any
used by the regular pro-
fession, It IS due TO the faulty brand |
Of the poison used and the people |
and the state, and the nation, fall for |
this camouflage.
All malpractice. (which amounts to,
at least, three-fourths Of all pro-
fessional work done) is excused by
faulty armament; or the treatment Is
equivalent to a reasonable skill, and
the whole profession and the courts
are behind It: so what are you going
to do, about it, Nothing. of course
Read the following from Dallas,
Texas newspaper:
4 Fatal Case
Faulty toxin, anti toxin for the pre-
vention OF diphtheria claimed it's
eighth victim, In Dallas Wednesday
night when Mary Johnson, four year
old daughter of Mr.. End Mrs. c. G.
Johnson died at the home of the fam
iiy 5409 Columbia Avenue. The child
was inoculated on Nov. Is and had
been under constant medical treat
ment since that date"
Read the following telegram sent
! to Dallas:
"Dr. Johmn r. Watson, president
Dallas County Medical Society. Dali
las Texas: Newspapers report deaths
following use OF antioDxin in Dallas.
| May we depend on you to furnish or
secure for us fun particulars, includ-
| ing source of antitoxin?"
(Signed) Geo. Simmons.
President Of American Medical AS
ISOLATION"
The Reply Received
In response, a special committee,
composed OF Drs John F. Watson,
H. L. Moore and ], =. Perkins. pre-
pared the following statement. which
was forwarded to the Journal office
In Chicago;
ION the recomn endation OF the
City Board of Health of Dallas that
toxin, antitoxins be given as an i'm
| munizing agent against diphtheria,
the private and municipal physicians
have administered several hundred
Il doses, with no severe reaction fol-
lowing except those cases to whom
was administered Ms toxin antitox-
in serial number A 377061. Forty
severe reactions have occurred. The
children who received this series have
manifested 4 severe reaction, charact-
erized by high fever, vomiting and
pain: AT sites of injection occurring a
few hours after administration. With
In forty-ehght hours after infection
the skin over the site became intense
ly inflamed, this area extending over
arm, forearm, shoulder and hand
and in some cases aCress the chest
, Large vesicles filled with n clear
fluid appeared. General reaction sub
sided within four To six days. and the
The local reaction sappeared a few
? DAYS
Five authentic deaths have beer
reported, Death occurred twelve tC
sixteen days following the admins
i tration OF toxin antitoXin, and wa.
ascribed TO an acute myocarditis
The lacal reaction disappeared a few
days previous to death No autop
sizes have been held. but the symptoms
and physical signs which occurred
were due to excessive amount Of tox
In. All other series Of the Ms toXiI
, antitoNin have produced no undu,
reaction"
- Clear and to the Point
The above report is very clear, an,
to the point.
Now read the comment by the DaI
las newspaper:
with the sixth death from de
y tective tOXin-antitOXin vaccine report
n ed to the city health authorities yes
!, terday, concerted action has bee
u taken by Mayor Frank W. Wozen
e craft and Captain Leslie G. Frank
2 city health officer 20 prevent a reoc
- currance OF the disastrous result
- suffered from the Use OF toNin-anti
y toxin, movement IS also under wa
to influence public opinion in Dalla
j. which is now said 10 be strongly a
n gainst further use of the diphtheri
preventive serum"
3 The sixth child to die from tn
effects of the defective vaccine was IN
siX-year-old son of Mr.. and Mrs Wi
n liam c. Phelps. 4953 Victor Stree
y He was vaCcinated two weeks as
d and had been seriously IN since abor
T. four hours after the injection Of IN
defective serum, doctors said.
r The attending physiCttn and m
is city health authorities attributed th
death OF the boy solely To the Ia
'e that the vaccine used was from a d'
fective batch. The serum used beaI
the same serial number as that whiC
~, has caused much sickness and fi'
~ other deaths I'm Dallas the last "
er weeks"
~ The Comment He Makes
,a The only comment desire to mai
N Is this: II serial A s77O6l becom
so toxic that It out-toXics antitoX
by changing climate, may not 9th
in serials become inert by the chang
as on the other hand, individuals va
ks in their susceptibility 10 the acti,
ed OF poison. A dose that would be I
re ert today may kill tomorrow, b
be why take any chances at all?
Diphtheria is a filth disease. Fill