HOME HEALTH GUIDE

Chronicle (Levin), 10 June 1946, Page 2

HOME HEALTH GUIDE

. 1 TETANTJS . (By the Department of Health.) Every now and again a case of tetanus or lockjaw is reported. It comes from a bacillus — the tetanus bacillus — that gets into the blood through wounds, small or large, and makes a poisou or toxin. The symptoms are alarming. There are painful contractions and stiffness of muscles, beginuing in cheeks and neck usually — hence the old name lockjaw. Later there are painful spasms of the trunk. The ineubation. period is from four days to three weeks. There 's a story of a wound always. Occasionally tetanus occurs in hospital, wheu imperfectly .sterilised catgut has been responsible for post-operutive developments. But usually the infection occurs from spores of the bacillus getting iuto wounds. Normally'the bacillus lives in the intestines of horses, cows, sheep and - other grass-eating animals. Vv ^ bring the risk from our farms to our homes when we heavily manure our gardens with animal manures. A scratch goue septic, a punetured wound from a splinter or uail, or a street acci'dent, or deep septic wound — these are the sort of injuries that let the spores develop. It has to be the sort of wound that keeps air away, for tetanus bacilli develop iu the abseuce of oxygen. In this last war tetanus was robbeu of its terror by immuuisation — a proi-e-dure similar to diplitheria immuuisation. Troops were inoculated againsi tetanus before leaving and renewal doses were given from time to time, or at the time of injury. For civilians who have not haa. this active immuuisation, and where there is danger of tetanus following avouikIs, temporary protectiou is given by subcutaneous injection of tetanus antitoxin. The same antitoxiu is usea in treating an actual case, together witli thorough cleansing of the wound. You are very jinlikely to eontraet ,fetaftus ar^u^^h^ hoiu^i^ you,i%a^be it a golden rule to clean and cover scratches and superlicial wounds. as they liappeu. Wheu abrasions' scratches or puuctures go septic, bathe and foment until you get tliem clean. It is the sepsis that .seals the tvounds vvitli matter and allows tetanus spores to develop beueath. Remove all dirt aua grit as soon as possible from wounds, and dress them at once, and you '11 keep lockjaw away.