| Show I I I D an anBy Jt l h hI I B By Lulu Hunt Peters s MD M.D. I IS s rr T jt rr J L yr r I S l lor 1 i 1 YOU OU MAY BE IMMUNE TO DIPHTHERIA Part 2 You may maybe be immune to diphtheria as well vell as other germ diseases This means that even though you ou are exposed you will not under ordInary ordinary ordinary nary circumstances contract these I diseases I In last weeks week's papers I gave you youa I I a table showing that a large perI percentage percentage per per- I of ot adults and a smaller percentage of ot children are naturally immune to diphtheria in other words their bodies naturally carry a diphtheria antitoxin Antitoxin which perhaps you have han thought of only as a curative is il also a preventive of diphtheria Jf H it is given gi to a susceptible perI person person per per- I son who has been exposed to toI diphtheria it will produce an artificial cial immunity very rapidly However However How- How I ever this immunity is not very lasting It is from the system within two weeks probably But as the time Ume for tor the germs to I develop to the stage when the symptoms are produced the Incubation incubation I bation period Is from two to s seven ven I days it Is the best protective for immediate usage j There has been a method perfected perfect perfect- I ed cd which will vilI produce an artificial I immunity to diphtheria which is probably as permanent as qs the natural natural natu natu- natu-I natu ral immunity This process causes the the- system itself to manufacture the antitoxin and when the system manufactures any antitoxin it ap apParently apparently apparently ap- ap becomes a stable part of the cells of the body This process process of ot immunizing the body against diphtheria is known as the Toxin- Toxin antitoxin vaccination This immunization treatment consists consists consists con con- of the injection of a very minute minute min nun ute amount of a solution made of ot diphtheria toxin combined with enough antitoxin so that the toxin is neutralized to the extent of not being poisonous and yet et retains its power to stimulate he body cells to develop an antitoxin I There are three injections of this given each a week apart it takes about three weeks and In some cases much longer after the first injection for the body to manufacture manufacture manufacture ture an appreciable amount of the antitoxin so we still depend upon the straight antitoxin for quick im- im for a susceptible person wh ho has been exposed to diphtheria There be some local and may constitutional con con- j reaction from this toxin toxin- antitoxin but it Is over in from one oneto oneto oneto I to three days The younger th the child the less the disturbance Diphtheria is largely a disease of childhood and it is an exceedingly dangerous disease There can b bno beno be beI no question as s to the advisability I I of or choosing between the slight indisposition indis position of the toxin-antitoxin toxin vac vac- and the terrible chance of death from diphtheria A large percentage of school chil dren of New York and some other cities with their parents' parents consent I have been immunized with this toxin antitoxin against diphtheria I i When this immunization becomes j I universal then diphtheria is going i to cease taking its annual toll of deaths We Va hOped when the diphtheria antitoxin first came into genera general use in 1895 that diphtheria would be robbed of ot its terrors The death rate has gone down markedly b But t because so often the antitoxin i inot ii Is not given in time and because of th the I propaganda against any form ot or medical treatment the results have not been what we hoped from it it Heath Heath officers believe that if the children are immunized by this thi I newer method over 90 per cent o of them will never contract the dis dis- ease case Diphtheria would be as rare as smallpox where smallpox vaccination vaccination nation is practiced thoroughly thorough Remember that toxin-antitoxin toxin It is I not given n as a curative e but as ag a a. preventive antitoxin is the cura iura I tive A word more about antitoxin not I being given in time The modern modem physician will give antitoxin in suspicious suspicious sus sos sore throats before he waits walts for the laboratory diagnosis because the efficacy of the antitoxin de depends de upon its early use in amounts Tomorrow I am going to give you yell some of ot the recent reports on the tha toxin antitoxin immunization treat 1 ment so that you can appreciate how effective it is Tomorrow You Tomorrow You May Be Immune to Diphtheria Part 3 Copyright 1925 by The George Matthew Adams Service |
