796 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



throat can be distinctly seen. At first this may be difficult, but the 

 child soon becomes accustomed to the manipulation and the throat 

 may then be examined without difficulty. Another advantage of this 

 procedure is that the mother becomes familiar with the normal ap- 

 pearance of the throat, and can easily note any change due to disease. 



In view of the important function of the nose in warming, clean- 

 ing, and moistening the inspired air, the greatest care should be taken 

 to teach children to breathe through the nostrils. When only a por- 

 tion of the air enters through the mouth, the irritation is not as 

 marked as when all the air is inhaled in this manner, but it neverthe- 

 less develops a condition of chronic irritation which is easily recognized 

 by one familiar with its appearance, and which may lead to important 

 complications. In many cases, mouth breathing is not due to habit, 

 but to some obstruction in the nostrils or throat. These cases form a 

 proper subject for the consideration of the physician. After the re- 

 moval of any existing obstruction, children will sometimes, from force 

 of habit, continue to breathe through the mouth, but this can usually 

 be overcome by attention and firmness on the part of the parents. 



The prevention of grave throat diseases, such as diphtheria, neces- 

 sarily forms a subject of much interest to the public in general and to 

 mothers in particular. The causation of this disease has been much 

 cleared up in later years, and we now know that the important factor is 

 a bacillus — a small organism of the vegetable kingdom — which is the 

 cause of this disease and a necessary material for its propagation. 

 Bacteriologic investigations have shown that the so-called " mem- 

 branous croup " is in by far the largest number of cases identical with 

 diphtheria, and the same precautions which apply to the latter should 

 therefore also be carried out in this disease. 



As diphtheria is strictly an infectious disease, and one which must 

 be directly or indirectly contracted from a similar case, there is no 

 sanitary reason why this dreaded malady in the course of time should 

 not be entirely eliminated from the earth. In view of the fact that 

 diphtheria is so frequently present in our larger cities, this may appear 

 at present a Utopian idea. It is not so many years ago, however, 

 when smallpox was almost universal, and yet we now but rarely have 

 it in our midst. K"ot only is this the case, but the health authorities 

 are severely criticised when a number of these cases exist, as indicating 

 that there has been a lack of watchfulness in carrying out certain well- 

 known means of prevention. 



While we have at the present time no means of inoculation that 

 will permanently protect against infection from diphtheria, still it 

 is not of such an infectious character as smallpox, as the cases are 

 usually limited to children, and its spread may therefore be more 

 easily prevented. Not only should children who have had diphtheria 



