Show Daily Health o- o Service 0 o By DR MORRIS FISHBEIN Editor Journal of the American Medical l Association and of Hygeia the Health Magazine Tetanus is world It was particularly particularly particularly par par- serious during the world war when soldiers in the trenches had their wounds contaminated by the soil because tetanus usually occurs as a result of Qt wound infection Most of the cases in this country occur the among young joung children during summer months The disease is not a common disease disease disease dis dis- dis- dis ease but it ft is an extremely fatal disease dis ease unless it is properly treated Whenever a wound is contaminated with animal manure with soil or with street dust the possibility of ol Infection infection in In- with the germ of tetanus ex ex- ex- ex From four lour days to three weeks after alter the germs are arc deposited in the tissues they develop the poisons that produce the symptoms These symptoms symptoms toms include of course not only the spasm of ol the jaws which is called lockjaw but also the nerve irritations irritations convulsions and toxemia that are arc characteristic The person who has the disease is not himself infectious to other people except when wounds which they have may come in contact with the discharges dis charges from Irom his wounds One of ol the most common causes of ol lockjaw is the Fourth of cf July injury in connection with which clothing and soil are blown into the skin and tissue by explosions of firearms and fireworks When a person is wounded wound wound- ed under circumstances that involve soiling of the wound all of ot the foreign material should be removed as early as possible from the wound It should then be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected dis dis- infected with the application of suitable suits suits- ble antiseptic substances Immediately Immedi thereafter one or preferably two injections of 1000 units of ot tetanus antitoxin should be administered by bythe bythe bythe the physician because the value of the antitoxin in the presence of this condition has been well established It is far lar easier to prevent tetanus than to cure curc it 4 |