The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1922-01-04
O|pTRERIA Is OFTEN
SPREAD BY CARRIERS"
Persons Recovered From Disease
Sources of Infection; Milk
Also Means

Diphtheria is one of most dread
ed OF the so-called children's d.
seases. The death rate is on an
average of Is per cent in small
children. II is highest between one
and two years Of age. After FIVE 1t
gets less. Not only does diphtheria
cause a high death rate but those
who do not die of 1t are often maim-
ed for life by having paralysis, de-
fective hearing, defective sight,
leaky hearts or permanently injured
kidneys.
Diseases Not Necessary
Parents must get away from the
fatal belief that children should
have the "so-called' children's d.
seases and that the sooner thy have
them the better. Reports from
health officers all over the country
show that the longer the child is
kept from these diseases the less
likely is he to get them and IL he
does get them the less likely are
they to be fatal. The child of four
or five is nearly twenty-five times
more likely to get these diseases
than the youngster of ten, and many
times more likely to die il he does
get them.
Infants Of six months rarely have
diphtheria. Most of the cases of
diphtheria occur between two and
ten years of age. Youths and adults
frequently have it.
The symptoms usually come on
from two to five days after being ex-
posed to some one who has it This
is called the period of incubation.
The child gets it by getting into his
nose or mouth the discharges from
the nose, mouth throat or eyes of
the sick child; through bodily con-
tact; through neezing or coughing
or through putting into the mouth
articles infected by the patient.
One seldom has diphtheria the
second time. This is due to the
fact that the diphtheria germs and
the toxins, made by them stimulate
the cells of the body to make a sub
stance called anti-toxin which re-
mains in the blood for some time
and there counteracts the effects of
second attack.
Some Persons Carriers"
Persons who have recovered from
diphtheria may carry the bacteria
in their nose and throat some time
after. These people are called Gar
riers" and are important sources of
infection. Healthy people who come
in contact with the diphtheria patti
ent but do not get diphtheria them
selves may also become carriers.
Milk may be means of spreading
The germs when gotten
into milky from the excretions of the
patient, either directly or indirect
ly, grow and multiply. Cats and dogs
have been accused of spreading
Diphtheria is one of the few dis
eases which can be directly prevent
ed. Prevention is made possible
through the use of the diphtheria
antitoxin. This is gotten from the
blood of horse. The horse is in
TESTED with small amount of diph-
iberia poison, not enough to kill
him. This dose is periodically in
until a very large amount is
given. This causes to be made in
the horses blood a neutralizer or
antitoxin. A quantity of blood is
then taken from the veins of the
horse. The clear liquid part of the
blood which contains the neutralizer
Or antitoxin is removed, prepared
and used to inject into persons sus-
'ected of coming down with diph-
iberia. a
When children who have been ,ex-
'osed to diphtheria are given the
lntitoxin they rarely develop the ..
disease. If 1t is given at the time
he first symptoms appear the dis
'ase seldom develops seriously. II
is well under way the antitoxin
will be of value in checking further v
avages. The immunity derived a
rom the use of antitoxin is good a
My for about three weeks. An
Their injection will therefore have
be given in case of another ex--h
osure. N