In severe cases suspected to be diphtheria the doctor always gives diphtheria antitoxin at once. This is a wise thing to do, because the disease goes on rapidly and a delay of 12 or 24 hours may be fatal. Besides, no harm is done, even if the disease proves not to be diphtheria. The antitoxin, although making some people uncomfortable for a day or two, never does any real harm. Whenever antitoxin is given to a person ill with diphtheria it should be given in _one dose, large enough and early enough_. TEMPORARY PROTECTION WITH ANTITOXIN. Diphtheria is very contagious, and many people, especially children, can catch it. For this reason, whenever a case of diphtheria is discovered, the doctor injects the antitoxin not only into the patient, but also, as a protective against the disease, into those who have come into contact with the patient. This is spoken of as "immunizing" these individuals. The immunizing dose is not so large as the curative dose given to the patient, but it is usually sufficient to protect those exposed to diphtheria for a month from the time of injection. At the end of that time the protection disappears. THE SCHICK TEST. A few years ago a very simple test was discovered to tell whether a person could or could not catch diphtheria. This is known as the Schick test. It consists in injecting a few drops of a prepared diphtheria toxin into the skin and then watching whether a characteristic red spot appears where the injection was made. If such a spot does not appear within two or three days it shows that the person can not catch diphtheria. LASTING PROTECTION BY DIPHTHERIA VACCINATION. For those in whom the characteristic redness appears, and who are therefore known to be liable to catch diphtheria, doctors now advise a course of protective injections similar to those which have proven so successful against typhoid fever. This protective treatment consists of three small injections, a week apart. There is no sore, as there is in smallpox vaccination, and the injections are harmless. The protection lasts for years, and perhaps even for life. Why not have the doctor make a Schick test on your child, and if this shows the lack of protection against diphtheria have him give the three protective injections? PERSONAL AND BEDSIDE HYGIENE. 1. (_a_) All discharges from the nose and mouth should be gathered in soft, clean cloths or rags or papers and destroyed by burning. (_b_) The patient should cover the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, for a cough or sneeze will throw droplets of mucus to a distance of 10 or 12 feet. 2. The attendant should wear a washable gown that completely covers her clothing. It should be put on when entering the room of the patient and taken off immediately on leaving it.