Show Daily Health Service By DR MORRIS FISHBEIN There is p perhaps no better beller way to celebrate e May Day than td to give thought to the children of the United States especially with regard to prevention pre pro ot oL diphtheria May 1 has been hamed named by health heith authorities for tor this particular purpose We know enough now about diphtheria theria to eliminate the disease i if all th the tie people in this country would do dol their utmost in aiding the application of f modern medical knowledge We not only know the cause of ot diphtheria but we have ix in add addition Uon an n which given Riven Iven early and andIn andIn In n sufficient amount will vill cure the dis dis- else ease in the vast majority ot of cas cases Moreover a skin test is known which shows shows whether a child exp exposed sed to diphtheria will come down with the disease Finally we have a method of preventing preventing preventing pre pre- venting diphtheria Involving use of ot a 91 single ingle injection of ot a substance called diphtheria The modern alum precipitated tox- tox old id is a n vcr very potent substance which does docs oes not produce reactions in chil- chil dren ren and which will after a single injection make th the vast majority of children capable of resisting infection infection tion ion with this this' disease Diphtheria is an Inflammation of ofie the ie throat in the vast majority of ci cases ases It appe appears rs as asa a white grayish-white patch When a a doctor sees this ch char ut t 1 hC c appearance he takes es a swab o or from the throat The germs are re examined under the microscope and nd an attempt is Lc made to grow the germs erms on on an artificial medium to tomake tomake tomake make certain that the condition is diphtherIa a aThe The disease is such a menace however how- how vcr ever ever that the doctor do dots s not hesi hesi- tate tale to give the antitoxin even before before be- be fore ore the results of the tile examination ot of f the material taken from the throat arc arc ae available Effective treatment of diphtheria demands immediate action Antitoxin given within the first two days of ot the disease almost invariably cures s the patient whereas delay may result in inome some ome of ot the secondary complications diphtheria f which are serious and in sonic some instances tat fatal l. l These secondary complications are particularly the effects elects on the heart and nd paralysis of the throat and of ot other ther parts of the body Children everywhere should be immunIzed im irn- against diphtheria In fact the tie immunization rna may be done alter after the child is six months old |