The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-03-08
The Scarlet Fever.

AS a means OF lesscning the spread
of the highly contagious disease, the
Medical Gazette publishes he snhjoin-
ed precautions, which have been salts
factori'y tested in England, in a very
large number of instances:
l. On the first appearance of the dis
ease, the patient should be placed in ii
separate apartment, as near the top of
the house as possible, from which all
curtains, carpets, bed hangings and
other needless articles of furniture
should be removed, and no person
except the medical attendant and the
nurse or mother permitted to enter the
room.
2. A basin containing a solution of
chloride of lime or carbolic acid should
be placed near the bed for the patient
to spit in.
B. A large vessel containing water,
into which has been poured either
Condy's fluid or the solution of chic
ride of soda or lime should be kept in
the room, and into this all the bed and
body linen i'll the room, as soon as it is
removed from the patient, and all SOIL
ed towels, &c, should be placed; hay,
ing been kept there some time, the
things may be removed and sent to the
laundress.
4. Pocket handkerchiefs should not
be used, but pieces of rag should be
used instead, for wiping the mouth
and nose of the patient; each piece, af-
ter being once used, Should be imme-
diately burned.
.. A plentiful supply of water and
towels should be kept for the use of
the nurse, whose hands will ofnecessi-
ty become soiled by the secretions of
the patient; in one hand basin the wa
ter should be impregnated with Con-
dy's fluid OF chlorides, by which the
faint on the hands may be at once re
moved.
6. All glasses, plates, cups, or other
vessels nsed in the sick room, should
be scrupulously cleansed in boiling
water, before being used by other
persons.
| Z. Outside the door of the sick cham
Der sheet should be suspended so as
to cover the entire doorway /; should
be kept constantly wet with a solution
of carholic acid or chloride of lime
The effect of this will be to keep every
other part of the house free from in.
lection.
8. The discharges from the bowel:
and kidneys If the patient should be
received into vessels charged with dis
infectants, such as the solution of car
bolc acid or chloride of lime. and i'm
,, mediately removed. By these means
the poison thrown off from the inter
: nal surfaces may be rendered inert, an.
, deprived of the power of propagatin.
: the disease.
9. The thin skin of the cnticle whicl
! peels off from the hands, face, and 9th
er parts of the body in convalescen
: patients, is highly contagious. TIL
u plan recommended for preventing TIL
= poison from the skin being dissemina
} ted through the air is to rub oil or lar
- all over the skin. This practice t
: commence on the fourth day after TIL
!, appearance of the eruption, aud to b
+ continued every day until the patieu
= is well enough to take n warm BATH
: These baths should be administers
- every other day four times, when tn
!, lisinfcction of the skin may he re
;, garded us complete. This, however
should not be done without first con
sulting the medical attendant. Th
= foregoing directions will apply to a
= kinds Of fever, smallpox, and othe
> contagious diseases.