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

fered from a sore throat and a
slight fever, but she had quite
forgotten this experience by the
time she went to spend the eve
ming at Billy's home. She was
fond of the children and enjoy
ed taking care of them. When
she but them to bed, she kissed
and fondled them. Of course,
she had no idea that she was
passing on to them the germs of
dangerous disease that was
still lurking in her own body.
A few days later, Billy's illness
developed, and then Judy
caught it from Billy.
To prevent spreading of
disease, all children and adults
who have suspicious symptoms
are isolated. The best place to
maintain proper isolation of a
patient with a catching disease
is a hospital. There are six Red
Feather hospitals in Toledo.
When patients must remain at
home, the doctors job of keep
ing them properly isolated is
greatly helped if there is dis
trict nurse in the neighborhood.
The nurse will visit homes
where there are sick people, and
explain isolation procedures to
the mother or whoever is doing
the home nursing. The District
Nurse, another Red Feather
Service will show the home
nurse how to care for the pa
tient. and also how to protect
herself and the other members
of her family from getting the
disease. When the patients doc
tor decides that the illness is ov-
er, the public health nurse will
, show the mother how to diSin-
, feet the sick room and how to
, dispose of articles used by the
, patient.
Diphtheria is one of the dis
eases for which isolation is ne
l cessary. BY that we mean that
people who have been exposed
to the disease must be kept a
way from other people until the
danger is past The other chill
, dren in Judy'S and Billy's fam
: lilies must not go back to school
l and must not play with other
! children until it's certain that
they are mot coming down with
| diphtheria. Any adults in the
a family who might spread the
t disease must also be isolated.
| We have to be especially care
t full about people who have close
a contacts with children and peo-
y pie who handle foods. Judy's
a older sister takes care of chill
}, dren in her spare time. She
!. must not go near those children
: again until her doctor assures
e her that she is not carrying the
: germs of diphtheria to them
S Billy'S father runs a dairy farm.
y He must stop handling milk un-
< til he gets a clean bill of health
r from his doctor. Isolation and
0 quarantine are nuiSanceS and an
|, inconvenience, but still seem va
:, luable in protecting well people
r from sick people.
E So much for the sick people
: and their families. Now, what a.
= bout all the other people in the
communicative ones who must
O be protected from getting diph-
q iberia? That's where you come
q into the story-eSpecially if you
E happen to be parent. Your job
: is to have your children protect
y ed against diphtheria.
S This protection is called i'm
t munization. Babies are born
: with a natural immunity to GER
v tain diseases. By six months o1
age, most of this natural immu-
q nifty is lost. Then we have to
y give the child some artificial
n immunity. To protect baby
from diphtheria, we inject two
: or three doses of diphtheria tox.
: old. The treatment, which i;
v safe and harmless, is given by
+ your family doctor. 1t should be
), given to every child during the
n first year of life. One out of eV,
a cry three deaths from diphthe,
ria occurs in children under
school age. But the creates
;, number of diphtheria cases oc,
" cur in school children between
= six and ten years old. Children
= in that age group usually do no
= die from diphtheria, but they
= often do pass on the disease tC
- their younger brothers and sis
. ters, who are in much greater
a danger from it. That's why it i.
= so important to have small chill
, dren immunized against diph
: iberia. Children who receive
: this protection during infancy
= should be given additional pro
" tection-so-called booster dose!
. when they start to school anc
: whenever there is any diphthe
: ria in the community.
i You may have heard of the
v Schick test. That's very simple
r and a very useful test. 1t can bt
used on older children and a
J. dults to find out whether they
IS need to be immunized agains
v diphtheria.
s This time we talked about on
e ly one disease that may cause ar
n endemic Your local teachers