Year: 1874

THE DlPHTHERIA EPIDEM1Cs How to Avoid COntagiOn-The Proper Treatment of the Sick.

 For several weeks past, says New York paper, unusual attention has been paid by the newspapers to the preva- lence of diphtheria in this city and the suburbs. What has drawn particular attention to this disease at this season is the sad circumstances which attend ed it's visitation upon two large wealthy | families, one in Staten Island and the other in Thirty-eighth street. Nearly the entire family in each case was ex- terminated by the disease, though the sufferers had every attention that money could buy. It was this seeming in- tractability, the inability of medical skill to check it's 1avages, that made it so great terror everywhere. But there is no need of alarm, as will be seen by true statement of facts re- lating to this disease made by Dr. Elisha Harris to reporter, the sub- stance of which is given below.

 Diphtheria, Dr. Harris said, is not on the increase, and is much less fatal than it was six months ago. Where it now causes twenty-five deaths q week in the city, in November and December last more than twice that number were recorded. No other disease has pre- vailed so fatally, however, nor with such epidemic virulence during the past year. In Staten Island town an entire family was carried away by diph- theria, and similar instance occurred in Thirty eighth street, between Seventh and Eighth avenues. These deaths were in wel1-kept houses, and among people of the best classes. It seems to have been the rule that the epidemic was more fatal in the houses of the rich than among the poor in tenements. During the early period of the increased prevalence of diphtheria last autumn, the district west of Broadway and north of Twenty y-third street suffered more than the east side. But in the winter, and since, the east side has suffered equally with the west.

 The steady continuance of this dis ease with scarlatina, though not proving as fatal, is fact of importance. The records of the Board of Health show that there were thirty-four new cases for the week ending June 6, and thirty seven more for the succeeding week. There are probably in this city and the Westchester Wards over 200 cases of diphtheria at present. There are, be- sides, many cases that have not been reported to the Board of Health, be- cause the physician may not have rec- ognized the disease as true diphtheria, and having once pronounced it scar latina or something else, would not re- verse his original opinion in his death certificate. The deaths upon Staten Island were not recognized as from diphtheria at first, and were afterward discovered to be due to that disease only by accident.

 The cause of diphtheria, and es- pecially of the prevailing epidemic, are similar to the causes of scarlatina, measles, and other diseases of child ease is contagious, though not in the smallpox, etc. The dampness and has been thought to influence it's trans mission.

 The utmost care should be taken to prevent well persons from entering the rooms of the sick merely to pay them a visit.

 An eminent physician says that he l with strict regard to the sources ot contagion-the excreted matter from mouth and nostrils. The clothes, hand kerchiefs and napkins used about the sick should be saturated with simple disinfectants. There is nothing un- usual about the present epidemic ex- cept that it has so long held sway as the leading contagious disease in this city. Scarlatina has kept pace with it, and owes it's power to the same local causes. Diphtheria very often follows cases of convalescent scarlatina. Ii families keep their dwellings thorough, ly dry and we'll ventilated the peril will be vastly diminished. The Doctor thinks the summer air will reduce the number of cases. A person will gel diphtheria by kissing child sick with it. Some time ago a distinguished physician of Baltimore caught the dis ease in singular manner. He was treating young lady for diphtheria She sneezed, and he felt particle enter his nostril. In two days after ward symptoms of the disease appeared and in an incredibly short time thu physician died, in spite of every effor of his skilled associates to save hi life.