82 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Feb. 



HOME TBEATMENT OP DIPTHERIA. 



An article appears in a leadingNew York jour- 

 nal upon the origin and cure of the Uiptheria, 

 which we have not room to copy at length, but 

 which seems to us to present so easy and reason- 

 able means for lessening the sufferings and pro- 

 moting the cure of children or adults when at- 

 tacked by this terrible disease, that we give be- 

 low a summary of its more prominent statements. 

 The line of distinction between Croup and Dip- 

 theria is drawn as follows : 



This disease, though in many respects resem- 

 bling croup — and in certain others, quinsy, is dis- 

 tinguishal)le from both by certain well-marked 

 characteristics. Like croup, it is accompanied 

 by the formation of a false membrane m the 

 windpipe, which, if left to itself, accumulates till 

 the air-passage is closed and death ensues. But 

 the false membrane of croup is an exudation of 

 natural lymph from the vessels of the mucous 

 membrane stimulated to excess by high febrile 

 condition of the tissue. While on the other 

 hand, Diptheria is scarcely ever febrile in its pa- 

 thology, and its pseudo-membrane is the result 

 of a sloufiUing q^' rather than an exudation o? the 

 mucous coating. Croup belongs to the inflamma- 

 tory type of diseases — Diptheria, save in excep- 

 tional cases, does not. In croup the breath of 

 the patient is usually untainted. In Diptheria 

 the breath is characterised by a peculiar and some- 

 times almost intolerable foetor. The lymphatic 

 discharges of croup are seldom acrid. The dis- 

 charges from the nose and mouth of a Diptheritic 

 patient ichorous and excoriating to the highest 

 degree. Croup is not particularly prostrating to 

 the general strength of the person attacked by it. 

 Diptheria is invariably accompanied by extreme 

 debility, and a loss of muscular as well as nervous 

 tone, which often continues for months after the 

 immediately dangerous symptoms have been over- 

 come. Finally — Diptheria is contagious — Croup 

 is not. 



As to the treatment of Diptheria there are 

 therefore two ends to be kept in view — 



1st. To evoke and sustain all the natural vital 

 forces of the patient. 



2d. To rid the air-passages of the false mem- 

 brane. 



For the first object strong beef tea is recom- 

 mended, and the sesquioxide of iron has been 

 most advantageously employed. But as to the 

 second end, the method lately discovered by Dr. 

 L. A. Sayre of New York, is what seems to us 

 particularly worthy of note for the home treat- 

 ment of the sufferer. Finding that the discharge 

 from Diptheria, as expectorated, would remain 

 in a liquid state in a condition of sufficient mois- 

 ture and warmth, it occurred to him that if from 

 the first stages of the formation of the false mem- 

 brane a hot and humid atmosphere could be kept 

 in contact with it, it would remain soluble and be 

 easily ejected through the nose and mouth like 

 common mucus. After trying several ways of 



accomplishing this object — there being objections 

 to the vapor bath on account of its relaxing ef- 

 fect upon the system, — Dr. S. finally adopted the 

 following method, which is certainly well worth 

 noting down in every family : — 



Having put the patient in a tightly shut room — 

 he had a flat iron heated to as near the white heat 

 as possible. He suspended it over a pail in the 

 sick-room, and kept the attendants pouring wa- 

 ter on it till it ceased to evaporate every drop that 

 came in contact with it. As soon as the iron was 

 cooled down to such a degree that any surplus of 

 water remained unevaporized, he replaced it with 

 one freshly heated. He thus kept the room as 

 full of steam as was consistent with comfortable 

 breathing — and at a tem)>erature of 80° F. This 

 process was continued for several hours — during 

 which not only the freshly sloughed membrane 

 was constantly being expelled in liquid forir. 

 through the nose and mouth, but membrane pre- 

 viously indurated in the trachea became soluble 

 and was ejected in like manner. Meanwhile he 

 kept up the strength of the patient by the above 

 referred to means of beef and brandy. 



The result of this treatment was an entire ex- 

 pulsion of the slough — and eventually, the com- 

 plete cure of a case which had previously been 

 abandoned as too desperate for even the dernier 

 operation of tracheotomy. 



The utmost care of the patient for weeks after 

 the immediately dangerous symptoms have disap- 

 peared, is necessary to prevent a subsidence into 

 the diptheritic state. Even where there is no re- 

 turn of the sloughing tendency, the general pros- 

 tration of the system is usually so extreme, that 

 the most nourishing tonics, and stimulant treat- 

 ment, is called for to ward off a naturally super- 

 vening attack of typhoid or lovv nervous fever — 

 rapid decline — or chronic debility. There is, 

 perhaps no form of disease known to the children's 

 practitioner, in which skillful hygeine and home- 

 treatment is more imperatively demanded to fol- 

 low up and perpetuate the results of medical ef- 

 fort. If possible, the greatest care must also be 

 taken during the period of foetid discharges to 

 separate the remaining children of a family from 

 the diseased one, for, as we have above observed, 

 this stage of the disease is quite infectious. 



We notice that Diptheria is again beginning to 

 manifest itself as an epidemic in some of the ru- 

 ral districts of New York and the neighboring 

 States. The words we haxe said may be of still 

 more use in a city like ours, where life is so 

 closely packed — infection and death so easy. 

 But of these latter evils there is no need. Cure 

 is now measurably simplified — prevention simpler 

 still. — Country Gentleman. 



How TO Throw an Ox. — Mr. L. Hendrick, 

 in the Oenesee Farmer, thus descril)es a sim- 

 ple method practiced by him on one occasion 

 when he wished to extract hedgehog quills from 

 the animal's hind foot : The ox was first placed 

 on smooth ground, and the left, or near side, fore 

 foot tied fast to the leg above the knee. Then a 

 rope was tied around the ankle of both the off 

 side feet, and two men standing on the near side, 

 pulled gently on these ropes, at the same time 

 crowding against his side. A man was stationed 



