Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-12-08
DEADLY DIPTHERIA.

I
Hts Prevalence I'm New York and Other
neutrality-suspicious. for fits Treatment
-DOn't Let Your Little Ones Kiss
Others with Sore Threats
In view of the alarming spread OF
diptheria in that city, the New York
Board Of Health has made thorough
inspection of that city through its san
itary corps, and has during the past
week been busy disinfecting places
where contagious diseases were found.
Three hundred persons have died of
dlptheria within the past two weeks; of
scarlet fever a hundred, and of small
pox one hundred and thirty, with a
marked increase in the mortality of in
fants and the sudden death Of aged
persons. The report of the Board says:
'While scarlatina, smallpox, and en-
terie fever are scourging numerous cit
les in England, diptheria is now pre-
vailing in about half the cities with
which this bureau holds correspondence
In the United States, and it is more
fatal Ii numerous interior towns and
cities than it is in this city, where
Its increase seems to be stayed. No
other infectious malady more impera-
lively demands the best resources of
medical and sanitary knowledge to
limit its prevalence and save life. San
itary precautions have supreme i'm
portance in this disease" DR.. Harris,
Registrar of Vital Statistics, comes to
the conclusion that diphtheria is con-
tagious disease, though not so marked
ly so as scarlet fever. 1t attacks by
preference children between one and
ten years of age. All classes are liable
to attacks of diphtheria where it is
prevailing. Those suffer most severely
who live upon low, wet ground, in
houses with imperfect drainage, or sur
rounded by offensive matter, in damp
rooms and cellars, In over-crowded and
illy-ventilated apartments. Diphthe-
ria is not affected by either snow or
rain, cold or heat, or drouth. The
precautions to be taken are In some
measure like those In smallpox.
Every kind and source of filth around
and in the house should be thoroughly
removed. Cellars and foul areas should
be cleansed and disinfected, drains
should be put in perfect order, dirty
walls and ceilings should be limewashed,
and every occupied room should be
thoroughly ventilated. Apartments
which have been occupied by persons
sick with diptheria should be cleansed
with disinfectants, ceilings hmewashed,
and woodwork painted; the carpets,
bed-clothing, upholstered furniture, ex-
posed many days to fresh air, and the
rooms exposed to currents of fresh air
for at least one week before reoccupa-
ton. No child should be allowed to
kiss strange children, nor those suffering
from sore throat, nor shoulda child sleep
with, or be confined to rooms occupied
by, or use articles, such as toys, taken
in the mouth, bandkerchiefs belonging
to children having sore throat, Group
or catarrh. If the weather should be
cold, the child should be warmly
clad In fannels. When diptheria
is In the house or IN tn fami-
ly the well children should be scrupu-
lousy kept apart from the sick, In dry,
wen-aired rooms, and every possible
source of infection through the air, by
personal contact with the sick, and by
articles used about them or in theirrooms
should be rigidly guarded. Every at
tack of sore throat, Group and catarrh
should be attended to at once. The
feeble should have invigorating food
and treatment. The sick should be
rigidy isolated In well-aired, well.
lighted rooms, the overflow of air be-
ing as far as possible through the ex-
ternal windows by depressing the upper
and elevating the lower sash, or a
chimney heated by a fire in an open
fireplace. All discharges from the
mouth and nostrils should he received
into vessels containing disinfectants, as
solutions of carbohc acid or sulphate of
zinc, or upon'cloths which are immedi-
ately burned, or, If not burned, thor
oughly boiled or placed under a disin-
fecting fluid.