The Strangling Angel of Children -- Looking back or looking forward?

An anti-vaxxer running the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services?

So, what would happen in the United States without preventative vaccines?

Let’s take diphtheria as a case in point. It was one of the most dreaded diseases in the world until it was, in effect, slain by a vaccine.   

But what if America suddenly appointed a widely known anti-vaccine activist as its most powerful health administrator? At the very least, large numbers of people easily could be discouraged from getting the diphtheria vaccine. At worst, the vaccine might be made hard to obtain and available only to the wealthy.

The trickle-down from either of these things would have a name: Diphtheria, a disease that targets, especially, children age 9 and under.

What was it like to live in America when diphtheria thrived?

Council Bluffs, Iowa, The Daily Nonpareil, January 7, 1880:

                The community is called to render unusual sympathy with a saddened home in our care. Perl Joseph, infant son of Nephi and Eunice Joseph, died yesterday morning at one o’clock, and yesterday afternoon, his little twin companion, Euna, fell asleep at 4 o’clock. They were beautiful twins, hale and ragged till two days ago, and today the two are to sleep together in one grave, as they have occupied the one cradle. . .  What adds to the sadness of this house, is that their third and oldest child now is prostrated with diphtheria.

Sioux City Journal, January 6, 1880:

                Three children in the family of A. C. Thompson at Correctionville, have died of diphtheria . . . within the past two weeks. Two were buried last week and one the week before.

The Des Moines Register, January 5, 1883:

A Sad Christmas — Died, near Lucky Valley [near Sioux City in Woodbury County] on Monday, December 25 at 8:30 p.m., of diphtheria, Willie, son of G. M. and Josephine Dodd, aged 9 years. Also, December 26, at 5 a.m., of same disease, Franky, son of the same parents, aged 4 years.

Davenport, Iowa, The Morning Democrat, April 20, 1890:

                A sad case is that of the afflicted family of Edward Ewert, 1128 West Second Street. A week ago a child of the family died of diphtheria, and Friday night another one yielded to the terrible disease. Mrs. Ewert and another little one are both prostrated with the same malady and are very sick.

Council Bluffs, Iowa, The Daily Nonpareil, January 9, 1890:

                Katie Ellen, 3-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. A. Smith, residing at 3649 Avenue B, died at an early hour yesterday morning of diphtheria.  The funeral occurred yesterday afternoon. This is the second child Mr. and Mrs. Smith have lost during the past seven days, and the third and last one of their little flock, an infant, is now fatally ill with the same dread disease.

Representing Diphtheria, watercolor — A ghostly skeleton trying to strangle a sick child; symbolizing diphtheria. Richard Tenant Cooper, Wellcome Collection, London, Wikimedia Commons

Davenport, Iowa, The Morning Democrat, June 22, 1890:

                Mr. and Mrs. William Dixon of Northwood [Worth County, Iowa] have lost five children by diphtheria during the past eight days.

Waterloo, Iowa, The Courier, January 4, 1900:

                St. Ansgar, Ia. – Diphtheria has broken out at Carpenter, a station six miles northwest from St. Ansgar.  So far as we are able to learn the disease is as yet confined to one family, that of Erick Erickson, section foreman. The whole family, excepting the father, consisting of eight children and the mother, were taken sick the latter part of last week. One child died Sunday night and three yesterday. It is feared every case will prove fatal.

The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, August 15, 1913:

                Elsie Tomaset, 6-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Tomasek, 1825 South Fifth Street, died this morning at 6:45 o’clock after being ill but a few days with diphtheria. The funeral will be private and will be held tomorrow morning at 10 o’clock. Interment will be at Bohemian National Cemetery.

Marshalltown, Iowa, Evening Times-Republican, January 8, 1900 (republished from the Kensett News):

                Last week, it was our sad duty to report the death of one child from diphtheria in the family of Henry White living on the Kjerland farm in Kensett Township . . . Since that time three other children have died, one last Thursday; then to fill the already full cup of sorrow to overflowing, two more were placed in the same grave last Sunday.

The Des Moines Register, November 3, 1905:

                Maude Roderick, aged 9 years, and a pupil at Franklin school, succumbed to diphtheria yesterday morning at the home of her parents, 814 Tenth Street. Owing to the nature of the disease her school friends were unable to attend the funeral, but a mass of floral offerings were sent to the house by them. Her desk at the Franklin school was draped in mourning and filled with flowers. It will remain so for the rest of the week.

The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, July 1, 1893:

MONTICELLO, July 1 – Mr. and Mrs. Ben Tobiason of Wayne Township have just lost their third child from that dread disease, diphtheria.

The Morning Democrat, Davenport, Iowa, May 10, 1890:

                At a quarter after 7 o’clock Friday morning, at the home of her parents, Mr. And Mrs. John Rhodes, 1834 Ripley Street, occurred the death of Minnie Belle Rhodes, their only daughter, after an illness of several days with the worst form of diphtheria. The case was one of extreme sadness in some of its features. The father accompanied the remaining little ones to the home of his mother and stayed by them to care for them. . .  Mr. Rhodes was not permitted to see his little girl after she was taken ill, the safety of the other children being considered of more importance than his feelings in the matter. All Thursday night he was pacing the street in front of the house he did not dare to enter, and the light of the morning confirmed the worst fears that could possess a parent’s heart. The funeral was held yesterday afternoon . . .

Did children survive diphtheria? Yes, but . . .

First, a bit of background. Diphtheria was widely known as “The Strangling Angel of Children.” For good reason. The disease forms a thick white coating in the throat, which grows both in thickness and length, as it progresses downward toward the lungs. Death results from an agonizing and lengthy suffocation.

The Morning Democrat, Davenport, Iowa, December 31, 1879 (republished from the Ida County Pioneer) – The story of Cora Johnston, 11, of Ida Grove, Iowa:

Last Friday, which was the ninth day of her disease [diphtheria], . . . at about 5 o’clock that evening the poor little girl commenced suffocating and gasping for breath. Obtaining the consent of the parents and the medical fraternity of the city, Drs. J. D. Miller and T. A. Baker performed the operation of tracheotomy and were ably assisted by Drs. Heilman, Moorhead, and Walker, the operation being attended by the usual dangers of hemorrhage. The operation was soon performed, which rallied the patient and afforded immediate relief. A piece of membrane was at once taken out of the windpipe through this hole which measured seven and one-half inches in length, and was forked at the lower end, showing that it had grown into the passage leading to the lungs. Thus relieved, she began breathing through the wound with perfect ease. Upon being asked if she felt better, she smiled and made a regular school-girl motion for a slate and pencil. This was handed her, when she quickly wrote, “Yes, I feel ever so much better.” . . .

Though medical writers inform us that only six patients in ten recover after an operation of this character, the physician informs us that this patient is nearly out of danger. For several days, the windpipe had to be cleaned out every hour with a probe through the wound, which certainly was very painful, yet she urged them to probe deep and sure. At one time, she told them that a portion of the membrane had fallen down into her lungs, and that they must splice their probe in order to reach it. The doctors obeyed, and, sure enough, they extracted a chunk the size of a chestnut.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., anti-vaccine activist

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who is heading toward confirmation hearings for appointment as Secretary of Health and Human Services, has been an anti-vaccine proponent for years. If confirmed, he would be in a position to work toward elimination of the diphtheria vaccine, among many others, or at the very least, to convince many Americans to avoid the vaccine.

A year ago, Kennedy was asked by podcaster Lex Fridman, “Can you name any vaccines that you think are good?

“There’s no vaccine that is, you know, safe and effective,” Kennedy replied.

He has been trying to downplay his anti-vaxxer stance the past week or so as he prepares for the challenge of a hearing by the U.S. Senate. His record, however, establishes him as one of the most aggressive anti-vaccine activists of our time.

Also relevant to this discussion is the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) clear statement that today’s diphtheria vaccines are “safe and effective.” Like any medicine, vaccines can have side effects, the CDC said, but the most common ones are usually mild and go away on their own.

Maybe we are going back

So who wants to go back to a world where tens of thousands of people, especially children, die of diphtheria every year?

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. does.

Donald Trump does, too. He has invited Kennedy to “go wild” on health and medicines as Secretary of Health and Human Services.

For more information, see earlier column by Arnold Garson

From April 6, 2024 —

Vaccinations: Truth, Misinformation, and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

https://arnoldgarson.substack.com/p/vaccinations-truth-misinformation 

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