It ought to be more generally known that D. is a disease in which relief must be expected from the use of medicines. It is septic, progressive, and cumulative; and when the system has been fully charged with its germs, it is likely to go to a fatal termination, the functions of the body seemingly participating in furnishing material for the spread of the disorder. The enemy must be repelled by such weapons as are deadly to disease germs. Disinfectants should be freely used, and medicines which keep up the animal strength. A generous diet of easily digested food, such as beef-tea, milk-punch, eggs and wine, boiled rice, and as a beverage, rice-water, with tender beefsteak as soon as the stomach will bear solid food, should be combined with such medicines as quinine and the tincture of chloride of iron. There is great waste of alkaline material in the blood in these eases, and this should be restored by the judicious administration of alkaline carbonates and chlorates. The amount of alcoholic stimulants required is variable; sometimes small quantities only arc needed, but frequently they are required to combat the wonderfully depressing influence of the poison, their reme dial action being similar to that which they have in cases of bites of poisonous reptiles. It is fortunate that in nearly every case the membranous exudation takes place above the larynx, or in that part of the throat which can be reached by a gargle or a sponge pro bang. This allows of the application of antiseptics, and no better one can be employed than a solution of carbolic acid, in the proportion of a, dram, or a drain and a half, of the pure acid to a quart of water. This should be used as a gargle frequently, every half-hour, hour, or two hours. In young children who cannot gargle, a solution of
rather greater strength may be applied with the sponge probang. This will in most cases relieve the local symptoms and cause the disappearance of the exudation in a few days, if the general treatment be judicious. A saturated solution of chlorate of potash may often be employed as a gargle in mild and chronic cases, but will not at all meet the demands of a severe case. What is known as chloride of soda, sold in the shops as Labarraque's disinfecting liquid, when properly diluted forms a good topical applica tion, and before the introduction of carbolic acid, was used with great success, and is still employed by many physicians. The mischievous practice of destroying the exuda tion, and of course, to some extent, the tissue immediately beneath, with caustic, was in vogue some fifteen or twenty years ago, and the mortality which resulted from this practice was frightful. The application produced a wound in which the disease germs seemed to propagate themselves and enter the system, for the wound, under the circum stances, would not heal or form a protecting plastic membrane such as is developed in the presence of healthy pus. The use of chloride of lime in the sick-room, notwith standing the denials which have been made of its virtues, has a powerful effect in destroying disease germs, and, as has been shown by experience, will render an apart ment occupied by a diphtheritic patient comparatively innocuous, so that he may be nursed assiduously with but little danger to his attendants, especially if they use disin fecting gargles, and give all proper attention to cleanliness.