HOME HEALTH GUIDE

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXIV, Issue 14081, 10 June 1946, Page 4

HOME HEALTH GUIDE

TETANUS (By the Health Department.) Every now and again a case of tetanus o,r lockjaw is reported. It conies from a bacillus—the tetanus bacillus— that gets into the body through wounds, small or large, and makes a poison or toxin. The symptoms are alarming. There are painful contractions and stiffness of muscles, beginning in cheeks and neck usually—hence the old name lockjaw. Later there are painful spasms of the trunk. The incubation period is from 4 days to 3 weeks. There’s a story of a wound always. Occasionally tetanus occurs in hospital, when imperfectly sterilised catgut has been responsible for post-operative, development. But usually the infection occurs from spores of the bacillus getting into wounds. Normally the bacillus lives in the intestines of horses, cows, sheep and other grasseating animals. We bring the risk from our farms to our homes when we heavily manure our gardens with animal manure. A scratch gone septic, a punctured wound from a splinter or nail, or a street accident, 01 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 in the absence of oxygen.

In this last war tetanus was robbed of its terror by immunisation a procedure similar to diphtheria immunisation. Troops were inoculated against tetanus before leaving and renewal doses were given from time to time, or at the time c.f injury. For civilians who haven’t had this active immunisation, and where there is danger of tetanus following founds, temporary protection is givep. by subcutaneous injection of tetanus antitokin. The same antitoxin is used in treating an actual case, together with thorough cleansing of the wound.

You ave very unlikely to contact tetanus around the home if you make it a golden rule to clean and cover scratches and superficial wounds as they happen. When abrasions, scratches or punctures go septic, bathe and foment until you get them clean. It is the sepsis that seals the wounds with matter and allows tetanus spores to develop beneath. Remove all dirt and grit as soon as possible from' wounds, and dress them at once, and you’ll keep lockjaw away.