Physicians’ medical treatment.—­Antitoxin is the best. 1/100 grain of corrosive sublimate or more according to age is frequently given in the severe cases and is beneficial.

Local Treatment.—­In older persons, inhaling steam may benefit.  Gargling the throat or spraying the nose and throat is cleansing and helpful; but in children it is sometimes hard to do this, for they may struggle and thus injure and weaken themselves more than they can be benefited by the spraying or gargling.  Swab the throat if you can with solution of corrosive sublimate, 1 to 1000.  Peroxide of hydrogen, one-sixth to one-half to full strength, is good in many cases, used as a gargle and a swab.  Wash out the nose with a normal salt solution.  One dram to a pint of water.  The persons doing this must take great care or the patient will cough and the discharge will go over them.

When in the Larynx.—­Steam inhalations without or with medicine in them and the application of cold or hot to the neck are good.  Compound tincture of benzoin is good to use in the water for steaming; one-half to one tablespoonful to a quart of water.  A tent can be made by putting a sheet over the four posts of the bed and steam vapor introduced under this covering.

Diet.—­The main food is milk, albumin water, broths, eggs given every two hours.  Some doctors give stimulants with the food.

[Infectious diseases 187]

Cautions.—­Members of the family have no idea how much they can aid the physician in this terrible disease.  Pay particular attention to the directions the doctor gives you, if you are doing the nursing, watch so that you may detect any bad symptom, and immediately inform the physician.  A harsh cough with increased difficulty in breathing may mean that the disease has extended to the larynx.  If such symptoms are first noticed in the physician’s absence, he should be sent for at once so he can treat it properly at the start.  If the kidneys do not act properly he should be informed.  One may take nephritis in diphtheria also.  I was called one morning at 3 a. m., to see a case I was attending; she seemed to the parents to be worse; she was, but today she is living, and I believe her life was really saved by her parents.  I would rather a loving mother and father nurse a case any time than a selfish, lazy professional nurse.  Good nurses are a blessing; selfish ones are a curse; I have met both kinds.  After an attack of this disease the patient is left “weak” in many organs.  He should be careful, not only of taking cold, but of over-doing.  The heart and nervous system in some cases have been terribly wrecked.  Take life easy for some time, for you may be thankful that you are alive.