The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-01-19


his column.
and nearly twice those in 1910.
We also hear that sporadic Gases
have begun to appear in the Army
camps
In World War | VIC never were
without meningitis in the Army
camps. In 1917, when ! arrived
at the base hospital in San An
tonic for duty, | took over a ward
which had 90 cases Of epidemic
meningitis and during my two
years stay there we always had
one ward for these cases and we
never had less than patients,
either active or convalescent, and
often we had as many as 40.
There are two encouraging
features of the possibility of such
an epidemic which should be not
ed. As a matter Of fact, both Of
them are the result of observa-
lions made during World War l
epidemics.
Can Be Treated Successfully
First, the disease, if taken early
enough, can be successfully treat
ed. In 1910, 95 per cent of the pa
tients died. From 1917 to 1919, the
mortality was less than 5 per cent
due to serum properly admins
tered. Since then we now have
the sulfonamide drugs which have
proved successful adjuncts TO
serum.
The second feature which should
be noted and which will save a
great deal Of morbidity is that
people can learn TO be on the look
out for the disease and detect it in
an early stage. Army surgeons
should be and are especially alert
to the possibility that soldier
who has a fever and who becomes
drowsy and mentally stuporous
should have a diagnostic spinal
fluid test in order to determine
whether or not the condition may
be meningitis. This applies to ci-
william practice as well.
This may seem TO be obvious, but
IL is astonishing how many cases
Of infectious disease are seen ear
" by physicians and dismissed as
being due TO influenza" or bad
cold" when the condition is actu-
ally something very serious. l
have seen more cases Of typhoid
fever this fall than | have seen in
the last 20 years and in about one
half of them the physician who
was called in first diagnosed the
situation as influenza"
Epidemic meningitis is likely
10 occur whenever human beings
mass from different parts Of the
country and there is a wide inter-
change Of human contacts. II IS
probably spread by carriers who
have become immune 70 the germs
they have in their own nose and
throat. That is why it is particu-
larly likely 10 break out in war
time.
The germs probably get into the
nose, then into the blood, and
through the nose, by way Of the
small openings made by the OIL
factory nerves, into the coverings
of the brain and spinal cord-the
meninges. Here it sets up 4 pus
infection which causes a depres-
sion of the entire nervous system.
Diagnosis can be made definitely
by removing some spinal fluid
from low down in the spine and
determining whether there is any
pms present and if the pus cells
contain the meningocoeci. II this
diagnostic test is positive, anti
1neningococcic serum rs admin
istered into the spinal canal. Also,
as I have indicated above, ii is
treated by the use of the sulfona-
rnide compounds. Low mortality
is obtained nowadays, even in fair
IL advanced cases, by these meth
DDS, and when the condition is
taken early enough the danger
should be reduced TO q very small
minimum.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
W. j. B.: Is there any benefit in
using sulphur and molasses as a
blood cleanser? What effect does
1t have on a person? Is there any
harm in taking too much?
Answer: Sulphur and molasses,
in spite Of tradition, has no proved
action on the blood. There may be
a little iron in molasses and some
mineral value in the sulphur, but
that could be easily obtained in a
different way. AS far as know,
there is no harm in taking too
much.
J. P: What is Cheplin's acid