The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-02-28
Quins' Illumination Should Spur
Diphtheria Fight, HarveyDeclares

A SIGNAL service in the field
IA of disease prevention was
revealed recently when Dr. A. r.
Dafoe, the celebrated physician to
the Dionne quintuplets, an
nounced that he had completed
their diphtheria immunization
treatments. according to DR..
Verne K. Harvey, State Board of
Health director.
DR.. Harvey is Of the opinion
that this immunization attracting
such wide attention will be in
strumental in bringing parents
everywhere to the realization that
such immunization is essential.
"Diphtheria is most common In
Indiana in early winter" DR.. Har-
vey said, land is very treacher-
Gus disease. The usual reaction
to widespread infection does not
take place in diphtheria.
This is very important since
the parent delays calling medical
aid because of the low ther-
mometer reading. AS we know.
time is the important element in
treatment and delay is often
fatal to the child.
TMMUNIzATION will prevent
IL diphtheria. Many communi-
ties in Indiana that have prac-
ticed extensive immunization have
had no deaths in several years.
And most important, the cor
rect time to do it is during in
fancy, just as DR.. Dafoe did. The
correct period to immunize a
child is between the sixth and
twelfth months of life," he de-
clared.
Formerly in Indiana immuniza-
ton was stressed for school chill
dren, the state health officer said,
but it is now recognized by the
department that pre-school age
is the best time.
At present there are three
methods recommended by the de-
partment, according to their
bulletin on the subject:
THE first method used is by
means of three injections of a
preparation known as toxin
antitoxin. These injections are
given at intervals of one week,
and may be counted upon to i'm
munize approximately thre e.
fourths of all children who take
the treatment. This method, while
perfectly satisfactory, is not much
used at the present time because
more convenient and more effec-
tive methods have been found. 1t
is still recommended, however, for
persons above IL or Is years of
age.
THE second preparation used
l. is known as toxoid. AS
rule two injections of this prep
aration are given, although some
physicians prefer to use three.
Two injections are probably as
efficient as three injections of the
toxin-antitoxin - perhaps even
more efficient. BY this method
one trip to the doctors Office is
avoided.
This method of immunization
practically never produces any re-
action in children under II but
occasionally it may do SO in those
above that age, and SO for older
persons the toxin antitoxin is
recommended. 1t is this product
that is being furnished by the
state for the immunization of
children unable to pay.
Even more recently a prepara-
ton which is known as alum
toxoid is being recommended. Its
big advantage is that it requires
only one injection, although some
doctors prefer to use it in two.
One injection is supposed to be
about as efficacious as two of
toxoid, or three of toxin-antitoxin
This method of immunization is
still rather new and it is possible
that further study will bring out
some undesirable features.
"At the present time, however,
the only undesirable feature seems
to be that the arm is somewhat
more sore than by the other
methods. This complication, how
ever, is so rare as to be of very
Blue Star Kills