The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1935-01-18


from whooping cough in the state of
Illinois, or an average of about 285
year. During 1881 and part of 1882,
10000 cases were reported to the Illi-
nois health department by physicians
Of the state.
Ninety per cent of the deaths occur
in children under three years Of age.
The largest number of deaths occur in
the second half of the first year.
Girls are more susceptible to whoop-
ing cough than boys are. 1t is the only
communicable disease Of childhood in
which there is this sex distinction.
Death rates are higher in the rural
districts than in the cities, and the
disease is more severe in colder eli
mates than in the warm zones.
While few deaths occur past six
years of age, anyone may get whooping
cough. Parents, if they have not had
1t before, sometimes get it from their
children. But when one has had case
of this disease, one IS usually immune
to a second attack.
So far as is known, monkeys are
the only animals besides man that can
contract whooping cough. This is one
reason why it has been difficult for
psychologists to experiment with this
disease, as monkeys are scarce and ex-
pensive. Indeed, the papers reported
recently the plight of Cleveland doc
tor who is trying to find the cause of
the distinctive whoop. He had secured
four chimpanzees at a cost of $3.50 each.
He gave the disease to two of the an
imals, but kept the other two isolated
for later experiment. But in some
way these two also got it, and he is
unable to give any ore of the four a
second attack. So he has to get new
lot of chimpanzees before he can con-
tinue his work.
Whooping cough is transmitted from
person to person in secretions of the
mouth and nose, and by kissing and
close contact. 1t is not contagious dur
ing the period of incubation, which Is
from two to three weeks-usually four
teen to sixteen days, but it can be
transmitted from the appearance Of the
first symptom, and II is most conta-
gious during the early stage before the
whoop develops. 1t may also be COM
municated in the late stages and for
some time after convalescence.
We have not discovered any vaccine
for it yet, either for its prevention or
it's cure, as we have for diphtheria.
But in 1906 two Belgian scientists,
Gengou and the famous Bordet, dis.
covered the bacteria that cause whoop-
ing cough. These bacteria live far
down in the bronchial tubes, however,
and for a number of years doctors tried
out various methods of raising the bac-
terra to the surface, but with many
patients they were not successful in
doing so. Then ten years later, two
German scientists. Chievitz and Meyer,
invented cough plate. which was per-
fected by a Danish scientist, Madsen.
This is shallow tin box, with a cover;
the size of the palm Of the hand, in
which special media is put. The pan
is held before the mouth Of the cough
ing child. Then the cover is put on
and the box sent to a laboratory to
find out If the whooping cough germ is
present.
The reason it is advisable to have
this test made Is because some nervous
children develop a cough that resem-
bles whooping cough. and yet isn't. and
it would be hardship to isolate them
from other children. And In the first
stages of whooping cough, the cough
does not differ so much from the cough
Of severe bronchial cold.
The point is that If child has be-
come exposed to whooping cough, and
then develops a cold, that child should
be suspected of having something more
than a cold that will yield to home
remedies. A physician should be called
at once and the culture made. II the
culture Is positive, then the child
should be kept away from other chill
dren, particularly babies.
There is a strong ray of hope, though.
in the whooping cough situation. Sew
eral doctors here and abroad, who are
devoting much time to whooping cough,
have made very promising progress in
their development of a vaccine for its
prevention and serum for its cure.
They have been quite successful In
their treatment CT a number of pa
tients. But their treatment has not
quite reached the stage where it can
have the universal application that the
diphtheria vaccines have.
When a child has whooping cough.
the state laws should be strictly fol-
lowed. Some states now permit con-
valescent children to play out of doors
before the quarantine is lifted, If they
wear a wide band around the arm with
the words "whooping cough" on it.
Children who have had whooping cough
are especially susceptible to tubercu-
osis for some time after their recovery.
O. Western Newspaper Union.