The Portland daily press., 1871-12-18
PR ESS.
hONDAY MORNING, DEC. IS, 1871.
Small P0x.

A"i' io"'0'oio uisease made its appear
ance in several of our cities and large towns
during the past summer, and many cases. both
of continent smallpox and of varioloid. were
reported. In the city of Lowell it RACED for
several months, and many deaths occurred
from it. A strange feeling has been engen-
dered in England, and to some extent in this
country, against vaccination, which is a most
unjust and absurd prejudice. 1t is born of
ignorance and vulgar conceit, and where it
exists, smallpox will exist. The authorities
in all cases should insist upon thorough vac
cination in communities where the disease
prevails. The following instructions for con-
trolling smallpox contagion, enforced at Low
ell, proved effective in arresting the spread Of
the disease:
ISOLATION.
/. Persons attacked with smallpox or
varioloid, and all infected clothing of the
same, must be Immediately separated from all
other persons liable to contract or communi-
cate the disease.
q Nurses and the infected clothing of
such persons must be treated as in quaran-
tine.
3. None but nurses, and the attending
physicians, will be allowed access to persons
sick with smallpox or varioloid.
4. Patients must not leave the premises
until they, together with the bedding and
clothing, have been disinfected, and permis-
sion given by some physician of the Board of
Health.
DIsINFEcTIo
1. All bedding and personal clothing in
fected with the smallpox contagion, which
can, without injury, must be washed in boil
ing water.
2. Infected feather-beds, pillows, and hair
mattresses must have the contents taken out
and thoroughly fumigated, and ticks washed
in boiling water.
3. Injected straw and excelsior mattresses
must have contents removed and buried, and
ticks washed in boiling water.
a. Infected blankets, sheets, and pillow
cases, and all articles in contact with, or used
by the patient, must be washed in boiling
water.
3. Personal clothing and bedding, particu-
larly comforters, which cannot be wet with
out injury, must be disintected by baking
or by fumigation.
6. Instead of using boiling water as the
disinfectant the following chemical process
with cold water may sometimes be convenient
ly substituted: Dissolve in wash-tub, con-
tanning eight gallons of cold water, one
Pouiu VI buC hy pUoulplltc VI SOud, llIImcTSC
all the articles of clothing and bedding used
by or around the patient. and when thorough
ly saturated add half a pint of sulphuric acid,
first diluting it with one gallon of water; stir
the whole and allow the clothes to soak an
hour, then wiring them out rinse three times
in cold water, and hang out to dry.
Z. Distinction of houses, clothing, and
bedding by fumigation may be effected by
filling the closed rooms with the fumes OF
sulphurous acid, or of chlorine gas. The
first can be accomplished by putting half a
pound of sulphur in an iron dish, pouring on
a little alcohol and igniting it, thereby caus-
ing the sulphur to burn and give off sulphur
Gus acid fumes. The second can be accom-
plished by moistening with water four pounds
of chloride of lime, contained in an earthen
or wooden vessel, aud adding thereto pint
of muriatic acid, to liberate the chlorine gas.
Clothing and bedding, to be well fumigated,
must be separated as much as possible, and
hung upon the walls and furniture of the
room, so that everything will be thoroughly
permeated. The rooms should be kept closed
an hour or two after being charged with gas
by either method, and then thoroughly venti-
lated. No attempt should be made to fumi-
gate the sck-rOom in this manner, while it is
occupied by the patient.
8. On the recovery, removal or death OF
every case of smallpox or varioloid, the
clothing, bedding, and premises will be disin-
fected, in accordance with the above rules,
employed for the purpose by the Board OF
Health.
9. The physicians employed in disinfect-
ing may eau q the removal, destruction, OF
burial of such fected bedding and clothing
as may, in thei. 'dgment, seem to require it
| Of which they sh. keep a correct record
with date, kind of i..ticle, whether new Oh
old, estimated value, name and residence o.
the owner. No person shall burn any contag
ioned articles unless authorized by the Board
of Health.
1o.-Ths sick-ronm shnnd- be kept wei
yentlIated, and with such precautions as not
to expose the patient to direct currents of air.
and should be occasionally fiImigated, slight
ly, by throwing upon heated surface a few
teaspoonfuls OF solution of carbolc acid
made by dissolving one ounce of crystallizeC
carbolie acid in quart of rain water. Piece:
of cloth may be soaked in this solution, ant
suspended in the room, also in the hallway:
adjoining. All vessels for receiving discharg
es of any kind from patients, must be emptie6
Immediately after use, and cleansed with boil
ing water. When convalescence has taken
place, the patient must be thoroughly washed
in warm water and soap, and put on fresh,
clean clothes throughout.
IL. Privies, watcr-closets, garbage-tubs,
water-pipes, and all kinds of drains and foul
places in houses, stables, and yards, may be
disinfected with a solution made as follows
Dissolve eight pounds of copperas (sulphate
Of iron) in five gallons of water, add one quart
of the solution OF carbolic ACID, and mix well
II. 1t should be remembered that there
are no substitutes for pure air and water
Let pure air and sunlight purify every place
they can reach open and dry all cellars keeI
the grounds about dwellings dry and Clean
and let personal and domestic cleanliness be
everywhere observed.
Vaccination, and re-vaccination, is of para
mount Importance, affording the best attain
able protection against small pox, and miti
| eating its severity when not preventing an
attack.