Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise., 1925-02-14
Diphtheria Anti-Toxin
Plased AT Accessible
Centers In Maryland
State Department Of Health
Furnishes Treatment At
Actual Cost

what happened IN Alaska last
week, when children and grown-ups-
but particularly chldren-were strick-
en- with diptheria, and when the en-
tire country waited each day for
news of the heroic progress through
the Artic storms and blizzards, of the
dog-teams that were carrying the
much needed anti-toxin to diphtherla
stricken Nome, could just as easily
have happened in Maryland, if anti
toxin were not always readily avail
able," said DR.. R. H. Riley, Chief of
the Bureau of Communicable Diseas-
es, of the State Department of Health
in speaking Of the methods now used
in the control of diphtheria.
! "But with this exception-the Mary
land State Department of Health, has
placed supplies of anti-toxin for the
treatment of diphthera, at centers
that are conveniently accessible to
every local Health Officer and to ev-
cry physician in the State. The De-
partment believes in preparedness.
Through this arrangement there
is no place in the counties that is
more than two and half hours dis
tant from one of these supply CEN
ters. You can better understand
what that signifies when you think of
the one hundred and twenty-seven
hours-over five days-that were re-
quired to get the anti-toxin to Nome,
and then only by the most strenuous,
self-sacrificing work of the most
skilful dog-team drivers in the whole
Of Alaska.
"The anti-toxin that was carried to
Nome was used in two ways-cura-
tive and preventive. 1t was admin
istered in large quaint nt;tes-units, as
they are called of the toxins or poi
sons generated throughout the body
by the diphtheria germ. It was also
used in smaller quantities as a pre-
ventive, to persons who had been in
contact with the disease.
| "Similar procedures are followed
in Maryland whenever a case of diph-
iberia occurs, but we are going even
a step farther. Since children are
particularly susceptible to the dis
ease, and since a way has been found
by which they can be permanently
immunized against diphtheria-that
is protected from attacks by the diph-
liberia germ-we are advising parents
to have their children vaccinated a.
gainst the disease. The protection is
secured by three treatments
each week for three weeks. In the
last five years the method has been
tried among thousands of school
children in all parts of the United
States and it's use has brought about
a great reduction in the number of
cases of the disease.
"a number of children in Dorches-
ter county We're immunized last year
by DR.. E. A. Jones, the Deputy State
Health Officer, for that county. Since
the beginning Of the school year DR..
j. p. Franklin, the Deputy for Queen
Anne county, has immunized over 900
school children and their younger
brothers and sisters in that county,
and DR.. John Collinson, the Deputy
for Anne Arundel county has immu-
nized 200 children in that county.
"The State Department of Health
furnishes the material that is used IN
vaccinating children to give perma-
nent protection against diphtheria
entirely free of charge. No children
are immunized without the consent
of their parents. The anti-toxin that
is used in treating the disease, and in
protecting persons who have been ex-
posed to it, is supplied to physicians,
by the State Department of Health,
at the actual cost of the material.
The price that is paid by the patient
will of course include the doctors fee
for his services, in addition to the
charge for the anti-toXin.
"Before the discovery of anti-toXin,
one out of every three persons who
contracted the disease, died. Some
times, in severe epidemics there were
two deaths for every three cases.
Now, the number is much less, one
death for every ii cases, in the coun-
ties of Maryland, with the possibility
OF much greater reduction in both
sickness and death when vaccination
against the disease is generally a
dopted.
Many State awards are offered by
the cooperating organizations includ-
ing tuition scholarships, cash prizes,
loving cups and medals.
BY educational authorities this an
nual competition among high school
students. started in 1920. is declared