Tetanus, also known as lockjaw, is now prevented by vaccine, but in the early 20th century it was still a surge that affected farmers and gardeners. Popular belief is that rust causes tetanus. It doesn’t, but the bacteria that causes the disease is found in soil, manure, dust and saliva. (This post is a companion piece to Melina Druga’s WWI Trilogy, Angel of Mercy, Those Left Behind and Adjustment Year, available wherever eBooks are sold.)
The bacteria enters the body through a cut or a burn. The incubation period can last anywhere from three to 21 days.
Starting in the 1890s, the disease was treated with an antitoxin. The vaccine wasn’t developed until the 1920s.
Symptoms of Tetanus
- Muscles spasms or stiffness that begins in the jaw
- Fever
- Rapid heart beat
- Sweating
- Tightening of the vocal cords
- Difficulty breathing
- Muscle spasms that can last for several minutes and involve the entire body, some severe enough to break bones
- Headache
- Trouble swallowing
About 10 percent of cases are fatal.
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Updated: 28 October 2020
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