Pueblo chieftain., 1921-05-17
DIPTHERLA IS
RAGING IN A
PART OF CITY
City Physician Warns
OF Possible Epidemic
Unless Precautions
Are Taken

Unless greater care is taken in cur
failing cases of diptheria in the Grove
and East Bessemer. an epidemic will be
prevalent in Pueblo declared DIR. w.
f. Buck. city physician yesterday after
noon.
The best method of curtailment is
the strict observance of quarantine
laws. Our greatest trouble in the dis
tricts named is violations of quaran-
tines.
"A child is suspected because of
bad throat condition, and necessary
precautions arc taken. A quarantine is
placed until tests can be made. Often
when a family suspects the home will
be auarantined. tho members who work
move to homes of their friends where
they will not be quarantincd but spread
the disease by carrying 1t from their
homes.
should the working members Of the
family. and home. only be patient the
health department will make all pro-
visions for their leaving the scat OF
disease. Their clothes will be fumi-
gated. threats swahbed. and II a mega
tive result issues. they will he rcleased
from quarantine" continued DR.. Buck,
Tho latest preventative of diptherta
II tho Schick taft. for determining the
susceptibility to diptheria and diptheria
Toxtn-AntitoIin for immunization ~
satnst diptheria- This test and i'm
muniEation is being employed by tho
Pueblo city health department to
great degree OF success
In largo eastern cities tho test has
been in use for tho past six years. but
Its general use Is more recent
c. r. A. W1nshow. an eastern phyx-
clan and surgeon. said in a recent
statement on diptheriA: "A quarter of
a century after tho discovery OF dip
theria antitoxin tho fruits of that dis
covery arc not fully Earnered. We
possess \ moro complete knowledge OF
dipthnrta and a moro complete power
over dipthexia than In the case Of any
other communicable disease. We can
detect tho tncipient case and the car
rier. We can measure natural I'M
muntty by tho Schick tast-
We can produce passive immunity BY
the use of antitoxin and active i'm
munity by the use of toxin-antitoxin
b> needed to fight tl4s enemy is in
our hands. vet diptheriA continues to
occupy third place among tho communi-
cable diseases and kills eleven or twelve
thousand persons in the registration
area each year"
Tho control of diptheria has been
much moro certain by tho development
-antitoxin mixture BY the form
or it In possible to determine whether
a given subject is susceptible to dip
therta. or immune. BY tho latter II Is
possible to induce tho development OF
an active. probably permanent i'm
muuity.
Tho Pueblo city health department is
prepared TO apply either Of these me-
thods, and will do SO should indications
Of a diptheria epidemic be seen. The
public schools supply tho most dang
orous communicative means. Large
shops. or corporations. where a large
number of foreigners arc employed az
laborcrs, and where they arc in pcrsDn-
al contact. arc other dangerous mears
of Communication OF dipthcria, and
other contagious diseases.
Tho Schneick test Is much simpler
than former methods OF determining
susceptibility. requiring no laboratory
8pparatus or special training. II is np-
piled tntracutsncously. or under the
outer skin surface. with tho hypodcrmic
syringc easily and quickly. 1t is alb
ful1tcly harmless, city health officials
declare. 1t has been the means of soiv-
inE many problems in regard to the
cpidomioiogy of diptheria, and Is Of
more value TO the physician. In the
control of an outbreak. than throat
cultures and quarantine.
Pueblo officials will continue to place
exposed families under quarantine, and
viii enforce the condition. II In said
Tho Schick test and toxin-Ant tttoxin will
also he. extensively used should an cpl
drmic brcak-out. Il