DIPHTHERIA, or DIPH'THERI'TIS (Neo-Lat., from I k. iiicOlpa, iliplithera, leather). An acute infectious and very dangerous disease, caused by the Klebs-L6tIler bacillus. It is char acterized by an inflamed throat in which a false membrane appears on the mucous membrane in patches, generally first on the tonsils, and then extending down to the larynx, up into the nasal passages, and into the mouth. It also appears on other mucous surfaces and upon any ulcer that may exist elsewhere. The false membrane is formed of lymph, which exudes upon the surface, together with mucus, pus, and the bacilli named. The mucous membrane is congested and swollen. and if the diphtheritic exudation be rubbed off, bleeding occurs, and the spot is very tender. The patient is very weak and depressed. suffers from fever, thirst, nervousness, insomnia, and loss of appetite. The throat is painful and the glands in the neighborhood swell and are tender. Alen ingitis and Bright's disease frequently accom pany diphtheria, and paralysis is a frequent oc currence during or a few weeks after the attack.
The diagnosis of the disease is not always easy, and suspicious cases of tonsilitis are quaran tined, as are all cases of undoubted diphtheria, till cultures made with mucus from the neigh borhood of the tonsils have been 2xamined micro scopieally for the bacilli of the disease. Besides separating the patient from the rest of the fam ily by removing him to an upper room, from which carpets, upholstered furniture, and all cloth hangings have been removed. provision must be made for the nurse, so that she may change her clothing and disinfect her face, hair, and hands, before passing through the house for her daily airing out of doors. Quinine, mercury, iron, chlorite of potash. and alcoholic stimulants are used by various physicians, though each is eondemned by some. The hypodermic injeetion of diphtheria antitoxin, introduced in 189-1. gives by far the best results, as stated hereafter.