Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1857-07-16
[From Chambers Edinburg Journal !
VER-POISONS.

On the subject of the scarlet fever, which
has lately been extraordinary havoc among
old and young, the following useful obserYa-
tions occur in a small tract intended for pop
ular dissemination by Mr.. r. Pairman, surgeon,
Bggar
After referring to the valne of thorough
ventilation, light, and cleanliness, in order to
| disinfect clothes and apartments from the in
visible air-poison eXhaled from the sick, the
author proceeds {: 1t is important to know
regarding infection, that when not destroyed
or dispersed in the sick-room, it attaches it.
self and adheres with great tenacity to all arti
cles of furniture-charS, tables drawers, &c,
Nesting in their innumerable pores and unless
these articles be scrubbed with a solution of
chloride of lime, or exposed to q strong heat,
or free current Of air for several hours, it
may again become evolved, mare rlrulently than
| at first, after the lapse of many weeks. But
! it chiefly adheres to cotton and woolen mate
| rialS. The patients body-clothes and blankets
| become saturated with it, like sponge with
water. And in airing these materials, mere
passing breeze is not always sufficient to carry
| it away. A genteel country family lately re-
lated to me that few Years ago they had an
occasion to reside some time In Edinburgh
while there, one of the domestics became affect
| ed with fever of peculiar type. After her
recovered, the bed-clothes-as was thought
were sufficiently aired, packed up, and convey
ed home along with the family. Through
some inadyertence, they remained for four
months thus folded up after which being re-
Quired for use, they were opened cut and wash
ed. Within week, the person who washed
! them became attacked with the same type of
| fever, though none was prevailing in the dis
| trict at the time ; so that infection TINS i'm
| priSoned in a blanket, or anywhere else, and
not exposed to any current of air, seems not
only quite indestructible, but, while thus con-
| fined, probably grows in virulence every day.
Thus the infection of plague-which is just Il
! form of typhus fever-has been packed up in q
bale of cotton, and after being conveyed many
hundred miles, struck with instant death the
person who uuloosed it. The following Gu
rions and dreadful! incident, related by DR. Parr,
| of Exeter, showing how plague was once dis
seminated in an English town, we extract from
! Macaulay's Didi0Hary of Medicine: 81 The
| last plague which infested the town in which
we now write" SAYS DR. Parr, ''arose from q
/ traveller remarking to bis companion, that in a
former journey he had the plague in the room
" here they sat. In that corner" said he,
was a cupboard where the bandages were
kept it is uow plastered, but they are proba-
bly, there still" He took the poker and broke
down the plastering, and found them. TIE
disease ras sooa disseminated, and Icas eIteaSlce-
| ~ fdtdl'
The next point requiring notice is that one
man may convey infection to another, while be
himself escapes the disease. Some years ago
| received message from a much esteemed
| and worthy minister, requesting a visit TO two
of his children. On arriving, | found them
, i'll with sca-latina and as they La both be-
come suddenly affected a. the rery saae hour
the previous evening, it was evident that both
had simultaneously imbibed the Poiso. Gus dose
But the question arose Where could they
possibly get infection for they had ever been
carefully tended by their nurse, come in con
tact with nobody but members of the family,
and no fever OF any description was prevailing
for several miles around. At length the faith
er remembered that about a week before he
had visited little girl under scarlatina in Gil
adjoining parish had, in the act OF religions
conversation, sat by her bed, taken her by the
hand, rubbed his clothes on the bed-clothes of
the patient-in a word, had quite unconscious
ly done everything likely to saturate his own
clothes with infection after which, the night
being cold he wrapped his great-coat firmly
around him-thuS inadvertently preventing lis
dispersion his horse, and trotted
home at rapid pace. On reaching home
threw of his great-coat, drew in his chair 10
comfortable FIRE aud as any fond parent would
be apt to do, forthsith got both of the child
ren perched upon his knee, little dreaming of
the poisonous present fathers love was uu- |
consciously bestOwing That this was the