In the 1950's there was a great fear among families. Many young children died from diptheira which the Foochows called Bah Heu, white lump or cyst.
My young cousin, born in the same year as my late brother, in 1953, in the year of the snake, was also afflicted. She was furthermore motherless as her mother , my aunt died at child birth. It was hard for her father who struggled to raised the young children on his own, with the help of a relative.
It was a miracle that she was saved from death. But she carries a big scar on her throat and lives with a hoarse voice.
Many foochow women who suffered from diphtheira in her age group all have that particular tell tale scar. Very often they wear a nice necklace to cover the scar.
2 comments:
What exactly is diptheria? Is it diarhhoea
It is a fever and a whitish growth in the throat. Most probably caused by a contagious virus. A child can die from it if not attended to medically. Surgery is often prescribed but might not be necessary depending on expertise and availability of the right drugs.
It is now a rare disease.
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