Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1949-05-20

probably don't do mucn
harm. Some colds, however, are
4 runners of much more ser
Hus epidemic diseases. Measles
begins with the symptoms of a
cold. Scarlet fever and diphthe-
ria begin with sore throats. And
a cold not properly cared for
may lead to pneumonia.
All these diseases are what
we call communicable-that is,
the germ or virus causing the
disease can easily pass from one
person to another. Any COM
municable disease is capable OF
causing an epidemic, if it is al
lowed to get out of hand. One
of the chief jobs of your health
department is to prevent cpl
denies. I'd like to tell you
little about the way we try to
do that job, and the ways In
which you can help.
SEet's suppose that little girl
in school somewhere in Toledo
develops sore throat. Well
call her Judy. Her teacher at
school notices that Judy appears
heavy-eyed and sits hunched
over her desk. She's wearing a
heavy sweater, even though the
room is quite warm. Judy's
teacher is on the alert. She
promptly sends the child to the
school nurse for a checkup. If
there is no school nurse, the
teacher telephones Judy's moth
er and asks her to come and
take the child home and to have
the family doctor take look at
her.
Now, let's follow Judy to the
school nurses room. The nurse
takes the child's temperature
and finds it somewhat above
normal. She looks at Judy's
throat and notices that it is in
Armed. So she calls Judy S
Ve5ther, tells her that the child
appears i'll, and advises putting
her to bed and calling the fam
lily doctor.
The local doctors, majority OF
whom are local health officers,
are also in our first line of de-
fense against epidemics. When
the doctor examines Judy and
talks to the child's mother, he
finds out that the little girl
visited her cousin Billy on g
nearby farm over the past
weekend. But Billy didn't feel
like playing with Judy. Most OF
the time, he was in bed with q
sore throat. The doctor strongly
suspects diphtheria. He passes q
cotton sWab over Judy's tonSelS
and another into her nostrils
Then he places the swabs care
~fulIy in culture tubes to be
mailed to the health depart
ment. He explains to Judy;
mother that she must be very
careful in handling the sick
child, and must keep the other
children away from her. He also
examines the other children
and the adults in Judy's family
and takes cultures from all theil
throats. The doctor also gives
Judy an immediate injection O
diphtheria antitoxin, which il
life saving when used early IL
the disease.
The doctor may also give
smaller doses of antitoxin to the
other members of the family t.
protect them temporarily, or i
they have been previously i'm
munized, he may give then
booster doses of toxoid. 1t Il
specially important to protec
Judy's baby brother, since ba
bies are in great danger if the.
contact diphtheria.
Now let's move right into tht
health department to see how
we may be able to head off ;
possible epidemic of diphtheria
In the same mailbag that bring
the cultures sent by Judy's doc
tor, there are others, sent b.
other doctors in the same par
of the state. There are also re
ports from these doctors anC
from other doctors on cases anC
suspected cases of diphtheria.
While these reports are stud
led by specially trainec
health department physician
the cultures sent in by the loca
doctors are carefully examined
in the laboratories of the health
department. If the bacteriologiS
Sfinds diphtheria germs, thi
finding is reported to the health
department epidemiologist, ant
the local doctor is informed b.
telephone. 1t may be that thu
microscope reveals some SuSpi
cious looking organisms, but thu
examiner cannot be certain tha
they are true diphtheria germs
Then it may be necessary to in
ject some of these germs into
laboratory guinea pig. The re
action in the guinea pig indl
Gates if the germs are reall,
virulent diphtheria germs o
not.
Meanwhile the local physi
clan and the epidemiologist goe
into action. 1t isn't just Jud.
and her cousin Billy that he
concerned about, but all th
children who may have beel
<Exposed to the germs of diphthe
D9ia. He wants to find out wher,
they get those germs. He travel
down to the home town of tn,
aL - .fe NJ