New Britain herald., 1930-03-20
Treatment Is Lasting Pro- lection Against Disease, Health Department Ex- ecutive Says-Injection Free From Danger to Patient, Official Adds.

Cooperation of parents in ridding New Britain ot diphtheria was ask ed today by Dr. Louis J. Dumont, superintendent of health, who in augurated a campaign to have all children treated with toxin anti toxin.
 Described as a simple, painless and harmless injection, toxin anti toxin is lasting protection against diphtheria, pr. Dumont said He recommended that all children be- tween the ages of nine months and 10 years be taken to physicians for this treatment.
 His statement in opening the campaign follows:-
 Would you allow your child to run out in front of speeding auto mobile? Do you like to have him play in a street crowded with traf- f1c? or course not, yet you may be allowing him to run an even great CT risk. Diphtheria is an ever pres ent menace to the life and health of a child. Many who live through diphtheria are crippled for life with injured hearts or paralysis.
 If television were in popular use and there could be flashed be- enacted in those homes where heartbroken parents saw their child making a desprate, futile fight for life, those scenes would tell you, far more viyidly than I cacn hope to do, why the Board of Health is bending every effort toward wiping out diphtheria in our city.
 "Diphtheria is 8 cruel disease that leaves ill it's path tradegy a,I 6 strange stiffness in homes that once echoed with the laughter of happy healthy children. The disease may occur in a mild or severe form, either form may be followed by serious complications such as heart disease or paralysis.
 AntItoxin Powerful Aid
 You have heard so much about antitoxin that many of you prob ably believe diphtheria is mo longer 10 be feared, since a cure has been found for it. but antitoxin cannot be used to give permanent protection against the disease. It's great value IS in the treatment of those having dlphtheria. AntitoXin, in order to produce it's life saving effects, must be given early in the disease.
 
 prevented. Your child can be given lasting protection against it. Toxin antitoxin gives that protection. It has definitely proved it's incompar- able value. It is, without question effective in saving life. It is, without ger. Is your child between nine months and 10 years of age? Then be sure to safeguard it against diph- theria, for this disease strikes par ticularly at this age group. Dr. Park of the New York Laboratories found that infants during the first six months of life have considerable natural protection against diph- theria which they have received from their mothers. This protection IS soon lost after the sixth month and the baby becomes easily sus- ceptible to the disease. For that req son, we are urging mothers to have their children given toxin -antitoxin treatment as soon as these young sters are nine months old.
 What Treatment Consists Of
 "'Just what does this toxin-anti- toxin treatment consist of?' is the anxious question of many mothers. Let me assure you that toxin anti toxin is entirely poisonous and can be used with perfect safety. There is nothing frightening about the treatment. It merely means that you make three visits, a week apart, to your doctor. It means that at each of these visits he will give your child a simple. painless injection of toxin antitoXin.
 ''In the city of New York. since January first, more than l65.00o children have been immunizcd against diphtheria and not one has suffered ill effects. Prior to this year. over half a million, school children were given treatment, and not ono serious ill effect resulted.
 Ut is advisable to make a Schick test some six months after the ad- ministration of the -antitoXin in order to determine whether or not the treatment has conferred safety on the child. We take this precau- ton because, while the great ma jority of children who have received three injections become protected, there is a small minority who re-