The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-09-28
Number Of Cases For 1887 Already Doubles
 Record Set In 1886
Local Statistics Verify Claim of State Health Officials That Cooperation of Parents Is Most EssentiaI
 History of Epidemics Related

A checkup on health statistics to- day revealed the fact that Water bury Is keeping pace with other communities of the state in the number of diptheria patients on their records,
 This announcement Is made prin- cipally to emphasize the appeal of local health authorities to parents to have their youngsters immuni2ed, The state department of health is making effort to obtain public CO., operation.
 Big Gain Here
 In i936 Waterbury reported 10 cases of diptheria for the entire year. Up to September of the pres- ent year Waterbury has recorded 20 cases The state of Connecticut re- ported 90 cases in 1886 and for the eight months Of the present year l66 casesl
 There's nothing alarming in the situati but the health authorities renew their appeal to parents to cooperate. ....
 If your child has diphtheria you will be the one to blame for it," pr. Willard Knowton, director of the Bureau of Plcvcntable Diseases of the State Department of Health, de- clared today, pointing out that in the first eight months of 1887 Con- necticut had l66 cases of the disease and that with the usual fall in- crease the total number of cases for the whole year probably will be double the 1886 total of 06 cases. This situation is taking place, he said, despite the fact that immun- ization prevents diphetheria.
 Shlck Test
 The best time to immunize against diphtheria is In infancy, and every baby should be given im- munizlng treatment between the ages of six months and one year, pr. Knowlton stated, speaking in the departments weekly broadcast After this the Shick test should be given to ascertain that the baby IS immune to diphetheria. Tn some cases second treatment may be needed to complete the immunity. This immunity may be slowly lost as time goes on, so to insure 1t the Shick test may be given again when the child starts school and Is ex- posed to larger number of in- dividuals, and still again when the child starts high school, @
 Dr. Knowlton told how science had progressed in the control of diphtheria from the years 1875 to 1879 when tho disease caused about l06 deaths per year for every 100000 population in Connecticut. If this same rate had prevailed in 1886, diphetheria would have caused 1883 deaths instead of the eight 1t actually did cause. This would have been more than ali the victims of pulmonary tuberculosis and pneu- monia combined. In the last i've years, the death rate for diphtheria in Connecticut has averaged less than one per 100000 population, 50 that the reduction during the past 60 years has been more than % per cent.
 Decline in Deaths
 This great decline in the death rate, pr. KnOwlton said, has been due to the development of know. ledge concerning the cure and pre- vention of the diease. The first step in the control of diphtheria was to learn that it is a germ disease and that the germs are present In the patients throat and are spread by discharges from the nose and throat. Through application of pre- cautionary measures, Including isolation and quarantine, the death rate began to decline. When anti toxin was introduced In the early ninetieS, the rate dropped still more.