The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1872-12-05
MsefnI aud Curious.
ABOUT scARLKF REvRR.

~
The following advice comes to MS from . sue,
cessful physician, regarding the best method OF
avoiding c0ntagion in scarlet fever:
l. On the first appearance of the disease the
patient should be placed in n separate apartment,
rs near the top Of the house as possible, from
which curtains, carpets, bed hangings ana other
needless articles Of furniture should he removed
and no person except the medical attendant and
the nurse or mother permitted 70 enter the room:
2 A basin containing solution Of chloride OF
lime or carbolic acid should 10 placed near the
bed for the patient to spit in.
3 Handkerchefs not to be used, but pieces OF
rags employed instead, for wiping the mouth and
nose of the patient, each piece, after being uscd
should be Immediately burned.
4. A plentiful supply of water and towels
necessity, will be s0iled by the sccretiOns Of the
patient. In one hand-basin the water should be
impregnated with Condy's fluid of chlorides, by
which the faint on the hand may at once be
removed.
5 Outside the door of the sick room sheet
should bs suspended rs to cover the entire
doorway this should be kept constantly wet with
a solution Of lime. The effect Of this will be to
keep every other part of the house free from
infection.
6. The discharges of the bowels and kidneys of
the patient should be received into vessels
charged with disinfectants, such as the solution
Of carbolic acid, OF chloride of lime and immedi-
ately removed. BY these means the poison
thrown of from the internal surfaces may be
rendered inert and deprived of the power of
propigating disease.
z. The thin skin or cutcle which peels off from
the hands, face and other parts Of the body in
cOnvalescent patients, is highly contagious. The
plan recommended for preventing the poison
from the skin being disseminated through the air
10 to rub oil or lard the skin. This practice
is to commence on the fourth day after the ap-
pearance of the eruption, and to be continued
every day until the patient is well enough to
take o warm bath. These baths should be ad-
ministersd everh other day for four times, when
the disnfection Of the skin may be regarded rs
complete. This, however, should not be done
without first consulting the medical attendant.
The foregoing directions will apply to all kinds
of fever, smallpox and other contagious diseases.
MODE OF DIsINFECTING SICK ROOM
The patient having been removed, all linen
articles, such as sheets, towles pillow-cases and
body linen, are to be disnfected by placing them
in q large vessel containing either Condy's fluid
or the solution Of chloride of lime soda. The
blankets, cOunttrpanes and wooden articles of
clothing arc to lie suspended on lines, and mat
tresses and beds placed on the backs of chairs
and the furniture is also to DO removed from the
walls the windows closed, papers pasted over the
crevices, the chimney opening of the fireplace
is also to be stopped mp. An open iron vessel is
next placed in the middle of the room, into which
put quarter of pound of stone birthstone: the
birthstone is to be then ignited, and the person
who does it must Immediately leave the apart
ment, close the door and paste paper over the
crevices. At the expiration of twenty-four hours
the room may be entered, and the doors and win
dOws thrown open, to allow the fumes of sulphur
to escape. BY this process the room and every
thing in it may be considered to have been thor
oughly disinfected-Hearth and Home.