Rensselaer Republican, Volume 12, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 December 1879 — A Remedy for Diphtheria. [ARTICLE]

A Remedy for Diphtheria.

The New York Herald of a recent date prints a communication from Mr. Shishkin, the Russian Minister at Washington, by which he desires to make generally known, for the possible benefit of people here, the fact that great success lias attended in Russia the treatment of diphtheria with the benzoate of soda. The Herald says: “ Recently many parts of Russia have suffered as from an epidemic of this malady. Only a few days since we published a statement of its widespread ravages and remarkable severity in Russian towns. Diphtheria is a disease due directly to foul emanations, but which attains its maximum of activity iu a humid atmosphere. In the wretched homes or hovels • of the demoralized poor, where there is a general indifference to cleanliness and where drainage and ventilation are unknown, it flourishes most; but it also flourishes in the homes of the rich and invades the palaces of Princes whenever ignorance of sanitary science results in the production of those conditions favorable to its development whieh are always present in filthy tenements. Dampness, however, is as important a factor in its production as are poisonous gases, and an atmosphere surcharged with moistui-e has the same distinct relation to its prevalence as the heats of summer have to intestinal troubles. Perhaps its ravages in Europe this year may be fairly regarded as attributable in great part to the saturated state of the soil, due to the unusual rains and the extensive inundations of low districts. But, lpt sanitary science do what it may, the time is yet very remote when it can hope to extirpate diseases whose cause is distinctly known, and consequently the knowledge of an effective remedy is of the very greatest value to the people. Our doctors should give a failtrial to the remedy of which Mr. Shishkin writes. Little has been said of it, though in fact a full catalogue of the medicines that; have been tried in this disease would include almost the whole materia medica. Gum benzoin and the benzoate of ammonia have been used in a solution which was applied to the throat as a varnish to prevent the access of air, and the latter on the general principle that all the combinations of benzoic acid have a stimulant effect on the mucous membrane. It is very probable that the combination with soda may have some specific influence.” Mr. Shishkin’s letter is as follows: Imperial. Russian Lkoation, i Washington, November 16, 1879. f To the Editor of the Herald:

In view of the increase of diphtheria in several places of the State of New York I hasten to communicate to 3 r ou for publicity a very simple remedy, which, having been used in Russia and Germany, may prove effective here. Out of several others, Mr. Letzerich, who made extensive experiments in the application of this remedy, has used it in twenty-seven cases, eight of which were of a very serious nature, all of which had a favorable result except in one case, when the child died from a complication of diseases. For children of one year he prescribes the remedy, for internal use every one or two hours, as follows: Natr. lienzoic, pur. 5.0 solv. in aq. distillat aq. month, piper, ana 40.0 syr. cort. aur. 10.0. For children from one to three years old he prescribed it from seven to eight grammes for one hundred grammes of distilled water, with same sirup; for children from three to seven /ears old he prescribed ten to fifteen grammes, ana for grown persons from fifteen to twenty-five grammes for each one hundred grammes. Beside this he uses also with great success the insufflation on the diphtherial membrane through a glass tube in serious cases every three hours, in light cases three times a day, of the natr. benzoic pulver. For grown people he prescribes for gargling a dilution of ten grammes of this pulver for two hundred grammes of water. The effect of the remedy is rapid. After twenty-four or thirty-six hours the feverish symptoms disappear completely and the temperature and pulse become normal. This remedy was used also with the same success by Dr. Braham Braun, and Professor Klebs, in Prag; Dr. Senator, in Cassel, and several others in Russia and Germany. Hoping that the publication through yonr widely-read paper will prove beneficial in the United States, I remain yours, very truly. N. Shiskin, Minister of Russia to the United States.

—•* What is the difference between the masons and their tenders,” asked Mr. Practical, “so long as they pet the same pay?” “ The difference lies in the hods,” replied John, the Britisher. < —When is there a greater satire upon man than in nhcss, where tlio queen has to do the work and the king is to be protected.