Can the Period of Infectiveness of Diphtheria be Shortened and its Tendency to Spread Diminish

Db. Louis Cobbett's valuable investigation,1 published in the June number of this Journal, shows that whilst there has been a great decline in the death-rate from diphtheria since antitoxine has come into general use, there has not been, in the districts reported upon, any diminution in the frequency of the disease. This significant fact and the practical conclusions which he bases upon it suggest some brief comments. The prolonged duration of the infective stage presented by a minority of the cases has forced upon us the long period of detention of convalescents which prevails at special hospitals, and still forbids its being shortened; in Dr. Cobbett's opinion this would