Completed in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Spanning almost 1600 feet, it connects Manhattan and Brooklyn, in the state of New York. Residents originally referred to it as the New York and Brooklyn Bridge and even the East River Bridge. In 1867, a letter to the editor of a local newspaper called it the Brooklyn Bridge and the name stuck. Eventually, in 1915, the city government made the name official and in 1964, it was designated a National Historic Landmark. A German immigrant,John Roebling created the original design for the bridge. Unfortunately, he didn’t get to finish his work. After an injury to his foot and an eventual amputation, he died from complications due to a tetanus infection. His son, Washington Roebling was left in charge and with the help of his wife, Emily, he continued on the work his father started. A little over thirteen years after the work began, the bridge was completed. Estimates suggest the total monetary cost of the bridge came in around $15.5 million dollars. It also cost the lives of 27 people. Still, the opening celebration was attended by thousands of people; some walked across that day while others took in the view from the ships located nearby. I want to add that the Tetanus he contracted could have been prevented if he had the vaccine but the vaccine was not created till 1923. Had to mention this tidbit because this is a “Microbiology class afterall”
Tetanus is caused by a bacterium which occurs in soil and manure, but also everywhere else, including dust and can survive years in trace form. It is a anarobe bacterium, that is to say that he is only a low-oxygen environment can develop. Therefore, tetanus mainly occurs when dirty and deep wounds, bites or after stabbing with a pointed object. Strangely enough at 20% of the tetanus cases and no wound infection found. In an open wound clean and tetanus will not occur. If it develops tetanus toxin is separated from the spinal cord nerves and brains achieve what causes severe muscle spasms in the limbs, jaws, swallowing and breathing muscles, making a life-threatening situation may arise. The first symptoms appear between 2 and 50 days and the first manifest themselves in the face. The masseter muscles were drawn together and the mouth can not be opened. Without treatment 50% heal spontaneously. In rare cases the illness to death.
The vaccine was invented in 1923 and is the first vaccine that contains the whole germ. It contains the toxin and not obstruct the development of a tetanus infection, but only neutralizes the toxin that it produces. It would be a relatively harmless vaccine should be were it not that the remains of the fertile ground on which it is grown contains. It also contains formol and aluminum.
Shannan Massry got info from:
http://www.post-vaccination-syndrome.com/3907/tetanus.aspx
and, http://www.areavibes.com/library/brooklyn-bridge/
