Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-08-29
Diph+heria
Conqueredb by
Dual Control
Doctors and Public Aid
in Wipine II Out
BY DIR. LOGAN CLENDENING

that time diphtheria would be
wiped out In this country by an
effort of medical science, /
would have refused to believe a
word of il. And IL I had been
further told that this was to be
due to the willing cooperation OF
parents and children for in
dividual vaccination by doctors.
boards of health and school
doctors. would have been even
more incredulous.
In looking back and thinking
this over, / do not know whether
to wonder at and admire more
the scientific accomplishment or
the fact that the public was
persuaded to take advantage
of Il.
The scientific accomplishment
Is awe inspiring enough. To
have taken a disease-one of the
most fatal and treacherous of all
human dangers, which has killed
of the babies and children and
youth of the world for thousands
of years, for we have records of
it since mankind first squatted
on the banks of the Nile-and
to perfect a method, itself per-
fectly harmless, by which the
introduction OF few drops OF
fluid under the skin will render
an infant protected from the
disease for life-that indicates
to me the highest form of
accomplishment OF the human
mind. a,
DUT when I reflect back and
- remember all the cranks
who were against Serum" and
the anti-vaccinationists of 1902,
and consider that by reasonable
and gentle persuasion, state
boards of health have convinced
parents so that in some states
100 per cent of children entering
school have had diphtheria pre-
vention, / am not so sure but
what that Is the greater
triumph.
People will swallow any kind
of a witch's brew made in a
dark back kitchen by an
ignorant quack who has never
tested ii on a single case for
this, that, or the other ailment,
but will shy away from a
product that has been the care
full and patient and tested ac-
complishment of the most exact
laboratories because it is a
serum"
/ still get some letters from
representatives of the dinosaurs
protesting against my advocacy
of diphtheria, smallpox and
typhoid vaccination, but even in
my short career In medical
journalism they are getting
fewer and farther between.
A T any rate there Is no Ques-
"A tion of the accomplishment.
In some states the campaign has
been so thoroughly carried out
that the citizens hardly know
what diphtheria is.
In my neighboring city OF
Kansas City, Kansas, in one of
those enlightened states, there
have been no deaths from diph-
liberia for three years. Think
Of that in a city of two hundred
thousand population.
In Massachusetts, a state
where there Is much population
crowding, with tenements and
poverty, the actual rate of in
cidence of dipht IBERIA had
dropped in the 10 years between
1880 and 1910 from 101 cases
per 100000 population TO 3.
But remember, diphtheria is
not killed; il is only sleeping
Eternal vigilance continued
vaccination-is the price Of
peace.
QUESTIONS, ANSWERS
D. M. It's scabies conta-
gious? II so, how long after
being exposed do first symptoms
appear, and what is the usual
length of time one has this itch
Answer: Scabies Is an infec-
tion of the skin by a microscopic
spider-like insect. 1t Is conta-
gious-very. Symptoms appear
as soon as the insect has bur-
rowed into the skin of his new
location-a few hours. The itch
lasts forever unless you apply
some sulphur ointment to Kill
off the invaders.
The Spartanburg (Ind.)
Cemetery Association recently
strapped an old brass-jacketed
cannon, originally acquired To