The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-12-16

IS prepared to give the test and treat
 Responsibility on Parents.
 'eThe responsibility for diphtheria rests rest " with , the .1, parents themselves" in not calling physician when a child is seen to be i'll with sore throat or croupy cough and more than that they are even careless where the disease has been before. i was called in only the other day to look at a child which had just died from dirhtheria. I attended another child in the same family with diph- theria in Octobr. The first child got well again and I repeatedly warned 1 the mother to take precautions with the other children: yet when the sec didn't even call doctor.
 | ''This is a diphtheria year." he con- 1 tinued. "All authorities recognize the | fact that courageous diseases run in cycles. Last year 1t was scarlet fever. this year it is diptherfa. Just at pres ent, the situation is about the same as last month There have been 31 cases far and two deaths, which is really a very small percentage as the mortality in diphtheria usually averages about 10. per cent.
 l However, we are beginning a very persistent educational campaign through the schools. because that is what is needed most of all to wipe out diphtheria, the education of the parents to the s'Shick'' test
 ''We are trying to get them to take their children to physicians and have the test made. or if they cannot af- ford it, to permit us to do it.'' 1 Dr. Fear has prepared very sim ply written little pamphlet on 'Diph- theria, Its Prevention and Treat ment,'' which will be distributed may take these home to their par ents and so spread. a knowledge of the disease.
 According to This Pamphlet: I,%1 fr-pr, 1r,of1 Nv 1Nn- gins with a sore throat. The child may say that it's throat feels rough when it swallows, or the soreness may be so painful that all food and drink win be refused. There is also headache and fever, which is gener- ally not high. Sometimes the child will vomit.
 'In severe types there is likely to be a swelling or lump at the angle of he jaw near the ear. These cases also have a very disagreeable odor anime the child's throat you will probably see gray patches on one or both tonsils.
 Another type of the disease, the This begins with a slight croupy cough and some hoarseness. At night the croupy condition is usually much worse and may be so bad that ing for breath. If anti-toxin is not given. the cough will become more croupy and very tight. The child
 may not be able to talk or cry out loud. These cases are very frequent 1y overlooked by parents because of the fact that during the day the child may appear well and be able to play about the house or yard.
 | Frequently, we have seen cases, which although just before going to the hospital were able to play in the yard, became so sever that night that an operation was necessary to pre- vent them from choking to death. Be fore the discovery of antitoxin, which is the only cure for diphtheria. once
 Ehild has it. this tyPe of oft the er sSa
 hundred who. had it. Some cities now report that more than three | fourths of all their deaths from diph- | theria are due to his type"
 Watch Every Sore Throat and Cold. | "Every time that a child who has not been either proved immune to l diphtheria or made so, develops a | even a persistent hoarseness with a cold, he should be taken to O physi- cian," said Dr. Fear. "The reason l why 10 ou of every 100 children who parents take too lightly cases of sore 1 throat which occur in their children. They attempt to treat these cases gone to be helped by antttoxin. Par | ents owe it to the child to be defin- l ite1y sure that a sore throat Is not d1phtherla. Every day tiaC IS ueIly | ed in the treatment of diphtherfa | makes the child's chances for recov- | cry that much poorer. It has been | definitely shown that 1t Is rare Tor a person to die from dtphther1a who | has received antitoxtn on the first | day of their illness.
 '"The number of deaths increase with each days delay in the giving of every 100 die when not treated until the second day; if treated on 1 the third day. nine die; on the fourth, | 12; on the fifth. 10; and on the sixth, l how important 1t is to have the child ! treated with antttoxtn on the 1lrst l day of the disease.
 1 "One very hard thing that we have | to cope with in diphtheria is the car riers. These are people who have 1 either had diphtheria in some mild form, or frequently being one of the | 40 per cent. immune, have never had l It themselves, but have the germs in l g. virulent form and give the disease | to others who are not immune.
 Fighting the Carriers.
 "They may be perfectly healthy can be found Is by cu1turing them. Such carriers are frequently found in l the sch ools and sometimes we have had cases where small baby who the disease, developed it. EXamina- ton of the mother proved that she | was a carrier.
 About 10 per cent. of the people | have dhphtheria germs in their | throats and about one per cent. of
 this 10 per cent. have the germs in
 a virulent form, or one which can be
 given to others. Almost invariably it
 is found that a diphtheria carrier
 has diseased tonsils and the Fs1 sT- | alSie of these cures him of Ess5 dan-
 gerousness to the immunity
 | But even more important than cur ing diphtheria is the prevention o1