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You've seen a representation of what diphtheria does to people in Balto 1...you even remember hearing the cartoon Dr. Welch describe some of Rosy's symptoms. Here, for your skin-crawling, stomach-churning, blood-curdling "pleasure", is a description of the disease, as presented by the reknowned Mayo Clinic:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diphtheria/DS00495

thanks for that BaltoSeppala those poor children im sooo happy that they got saved! That just shows how much a hero, Balto and Togo and all the rest are! Thankfully only 1 out of 10 that catch it die and that it is very rare. Apparently, Nome already had a fever before Diptheria that they caught from the minors?

Er...I'm not sure. I think the diphtheria epidemic swept down on them very suddenly, and caught them unprepared. At the time period, this was common (look at the American influenza epidemic of the early 20th century...or the cursed Black Death of the European Middle Ages).

I also think that the statistics mentioned on the Mayo Clinic page are modern stats, not stats for the early 1900s. I just wanted people to see the effects, symptoms and causes of the disease.

yea, i guess your right. But i'm sure about the fever, i think it mentioned it on the DVD special fetures. The doctor that is in Nome today, said that just before Diptheria, it was really bad because a terrible floo epidemic was passed on to one of the children by the minors and something like half the population died, and then after all this, they were struck by Diptheria, that's what i remember.

It's possible. Whenever whites of European stock mingled (either socially or...intimately...heh heh) with natives, such things were bound to occur. And neither were necessarily to blame. Though, with the large cities Europeans and their descendants were accustomed to living in, they had long since developed resistances to many diseases and viruses. But they did accidentally pass them onto the natives (with devastating effect).

Then again, new and terrible diseases and viruses were striking them down too in the new world...and the natives and other peoples as well.

yea, really sad isn't it. i'm glad Balto saved them! yay, Balto! But for them unlucky few that didn't make it, we mourn for them but hopefully, i think most were saved! Steet was saying once, i think it was in his review, that they didn't mention that some didnt make it. But they may have meant it by showing the coffins. But this topic is a bit sad and upsetting so can you make another topic thats a bit nicer

Ugh...Glad I was'nt around Nome at that time, it sounds awful.
I heard somewhere that Diptheria was so deadly and spread so quickly around Nome because no one there had ever caught the diasease before and did'nt know quite what to do, I also heard a few years before the Diptheria epidemic an outbreak of the Flu in Nome caused many to die because they had never encountered it before being so remote, I can't remember which one it was but I also heard that one of the diaseases was started because a little Inuit girl was left behind in a tent during the gold rush. and caught one of the two diaseases, I can't remember which one it was.

yea, thats what i was just saying, they had caught a floo before diptheria and about half the population died i think

True that. But it is clear that Dr. Curtis Welch (who appears to be the only real person from the time represented in any of the three cartoons) did finally and correctly diagnose the illness (even if he at first misdiagnoes it). That says something about his skill. And apparently it was just him and some nurses up there (if you believe the historical information...because no other doctor is mentioned...the history only mentions that he and one specific nurse diagnosed several cases).

yea. Today there is still only one doctor, dont remember his name though

By the by, gang. You'll notice that the Mayo Clinic page on diphtheria has more than one section. Click through the first few pages, and you'll get a better look at the disease. (I chose it because, unlike other medical facts pages on diseases, THIS one speaks to you in layman's terms...not in medicalese...)

hmm... interesting. i don't know what to say. i have run out of ideas

I know there was a previous epidemic before diptheria and like you guys have been saying I'm pretty sure it was the Flu... The one that was started by inuit girl in a tent I'm pretty sure was the diptheria one. I'd have to recheck but I'm pretty sure.

Indeed, this is very possible. Two of you, at least, have mentioned reading about it at some point. Therefore it is very likely. I have not found any historical reference to it as yet though. If any of you find it, please do feel free to post it!

i will post if i do, but i'm pretty sure its on the Balto dvd special feture thing! if you watch it again it tells you about it