Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-03-27

The following advice comes to us from a
successful physician, regarding the best
method OF avoiding contagion in scarlet
fever
| /. On the first appearance Of the disease
the patient should be placed in separate
apartment, as near the top of the house as
possible, from which curtains, carpet, bed,
hangings, and other needless articles Of furni-
ture should be removed, and no person except
the medical attendant and the nurse or mother
permitted to enter the room.
2. A basin containing solution of chloride
of lime or carbolic acid should be placed near
the bed for the patient to spit in.
| 3. Hankerchiefs not to DO used, but pieces
of rag employed instead, for wiping the mouth
and nose of the patient each piece, after be-
ing used, should be Immediately burned.
4. A plentiful supply of water and towels
should be kept for the use Of the nurse whose
hands of necessity will be soiled by the secre.
tions of the patient. La one hand basin the
water should be impregnated with Condy's
fluid or chlorides, by which the taint on the
hand may at once be removed.
5. Outside the door of the sick room u
sheet should be suspended SO as to cover the
entire doorway this should be kept constant
ly 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 kid
neys of the patient should be received into
vessels charged with disinfectants, such as
the solution Of carbolic acid, or chloride Of
lime, and Immediately removed. BY these
means the poison thrown off from internal
surfaces may be rendered inert and deprived
Of the power of propagating the disease.
I. The thin skin or cuticle which peel oil
from the hands, face, and other parts Of the
body in conyalescent patients, is highly con-
tagious The plan recommended for pre-
venting the poison from the skin being dis
seminated through the air is to rub oil or lard
all over the skin. This practice is to COM
mence on the fourth day after the appear
ance of the eruption, and to be continued
every day until the patient is well enough to
take warm bath. These baths should be
administered every other day for four times,
when the disinfeciion OF the skin may be re-
garded as complete. This, however, should
not be done without first consulting the medi-
cal attendant.
The foregoing directions will apply to all
kinds of fever, smallpox, and other conta-
gious diseases.
MODE OF DlsINFEcrISG A sIck ROOM.
The patient having been removed, all linen
articles, such as sheets, towels, pillow cases,
and body linen, are to be disiniected by pla-
cling them in a large vessel containing either
Condy's fluid or the solution OF chloride Of
lime or soda. The blankets, counterpaines,
and wooden articles of clothing are to be sus-
pended on lines, and mattresses and beds
placed on the backs Of chairs, and the farni-
ture is also to be removed from the walls,
the windows closed, paper pasted over the
crevices. the chimney opening Of the fire
place is also to be stopped up. An open iron
vessel is next placed in the middle Of the
room, into which is put quarter Of pound
of stone birthstone the birthstone is then to
be ignited, and the person who does it must
Immediately leave the apartment, close the
door, aud paste paper over the creyices. At
the expiration Of tweaty-four hours the room
may bc entered and the doors and windows
thrown open to allow the fumes Of sulphur to
escape. BY this process the room and every
thing ip it may be considered to have been
thoroughly disinfected.