Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1922-01-13
NEGLECT CAUSES
MANY DEATHS
Prompt Recognition of Diph-
liberia Very Important,
Says State
Doctor

That the cases OF dlphtherIa when
| terminate fatally are nearly always
| those that are not recognized early
enough and are neglected so far as
proper care is concerned, was the
declaration of DR.. III. B. Sears, of Bea-
yer Dam, deputy state health officer,
in an interview with a representative
of the News udget while the doctor
was in Ladysmith last Friday.
| The doctor made the trip to Rusk
county to investigate cases Of diph-
iberia in this county, there being one
case in Ladysmith and several in the
town Of True.
| Lack of care in quarantine and the
disposition to avoid quarantine, were
said by the doctor to be the cause OF
most diphtheria epidemics. Many
lives are lost every year through the
spreading Of the disease by such negli-
gence.
| Prompt recognition of the disease
and the giving of anti-toxin ut the
earliest possible moment are of the ut
most Importance in combating diph-
! iberia. Fault for negligence often
rests with the heads of families, the
doctor stated, who do not realize the
terrible price they may have to pay
until they have one or more OF their
loved ones taken away from them.
Negligence in quarantine is often the
| fault of the doctor or OF the health
officer. All are equally responsible for
the prompt recognition, quarantine and
| limitation of the sickness.
Can Imm,lnize People
Immunization Of people to diphthe-
ria is now possible, declared DR.. Sears,
just as successfully as against typhoid
and small pox The doctor announces
that the state board of health is ready
and anxious to direct immuniZation
against diphtheria as soon as the pub
| lie is educated to the fact that 1t is
possible. Children under six years are
more susceptible to diphtheria than
older ones and the immunity is greater
with each year after that age.
The Shick test wills determine the
immunity or susceptibility of each per-
son tested and it is advocated that this
test be applied from 8 years on and
if the individual is found susceptible
that the treatment for immunizati0n
be carried out.
The Shicix Test
The test consists Of injecting a drop
Of the test material into the skin and
if an area of redness appears suscept-
Utility is shown If there is no reac-
ton, the person is immune without
treatment The treatment is very
simple. a vaccination similar to that
for small poX.
In New York City, 10000 children
immunized without injurious effect,
were found to be still immune after
lapse of five years, DIR. Sears stated
We feel, the doctor says, that sue
cess in preventing sickness, saving hui
man lives and needless expense, must
come through complete cooperation be-
tween the heads of families, attending
physicians and the health officers. The
state cannot through legislation, he
added, go ahead of the intelligence OF
the mass of the people; it is necessary
for the public to be enlightened in or
der to make effective the discoveries
of science in combating disease.
County Nurse Great Aid
The work of the county nurse will
be great asset to the county, parlc
ularly i'm the rural districts, where heI
work is most needed. The late wal
demonstrated that more detectives
comes from the country than from the
city Only about one-third OF those
from country districts were found t.
be fit for service. The Importance Of
some degree of medical inspection
made possible by having county
, nurse, is emphasized when the fact Ii
considered that three-ffths of the ma
tion's children are in the rural dis
tricts.