On diphtheria : its history, progress, symptoms, treatment, and prevention / by Ernest Hart.

  • Hart, Ernest, 1835-1898.
Date:
1859
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On diphtheria : its history, progress, symptoms, treatment, and prevention / by Ernest Hart. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    There are many observers who show an unfortunate facility in adopting the current title, and who are disposed to extend the nomenclature of this disease—in itself perfectly specific—to all forms of throat affection. There are many others who re- fuse to investigate the unassailable grounds on which a specific character is assigned to diphtheria, and retain habitually such loose designations as “ throat fever,” or tacitly classify diph- theria as a form of ordinary cynanche—returning cases under that head without guiding note or observation. Hence, on the one hand, we must look for diphtheria in many districts where the disease exists, but the name does not; and we are com- pelled to reject the diphtheria returns from other localities where personal inspection has assured us that diphtheria does not, in fact, exist, but only some of the forms of scarlatinal sore-throat. There are some physicians of intelligence who maintain that diphtheria is closely allied to scarlatina, in the nature of its poison, and should be classed with it. But diph- theria is wholly distinct from scarlatina in symptoms and com’se; and we hold the contrary opinion to involve a noso- logical error, arising clearly from a confusion between diphtheric and sloughing sore-throat, and thoroughly refuted by clinical investigation. It is, however, desirable to note the coincidence of scarlatina and diphtheria wherever it occurs in any report, not only that the few advocates of this theory may have the full benefit of favourable facts, but also because the confusion be- tween scarlatinal sore-throat and diphtheria is stiU so common as to be an element deserving of consideration in any numerical analysis of the returns of disease. Aiming at brevity, no less than accuracy, we omit to insert here those historical gleanings from medical literature which we have gathered, and which throw an uncertain light upon the past invasions of this disease, reserving them for a future historical study of epidemics of throat disease in England, which the limits of this report forbid. The advent of that out- break of diphtheria which is now under consideration was first notified in a plain and unmistakable manner early in 1867. It