The Lake County star., 1877-05-17

DIRECTIONS FOR ITS PREVENTION AND
RESTRICTION.

valuable pamphlet, giving, in brief
and comprehensive form. SOme diroo-
tions In regard to its prevention and
restr1ction. The Importance Of the
subject IL 90 great that we copy below
the more essential portions Of the cir
cular: .
Scarlet fever is now believed to be
one Of the most CONTIGUOUS diseases.
One attack usually prevents subse-
quent attacks. The greatest number
Of deaths from this disease are of
children under ten years Of age. Adult
persons do sometimes have the disease.
Scarlet fever Is believed to arise from q
special contagium or poison, which
may be conveyed to persons previously
unaffected by personal contact, by In
fected clothing or paper rags, or by any
OF the discharges from the body of o
person affected with the disease. The
discharges from the throat, nose and
mouth are considered extremely dam
gerous, but those from the skin, eyes,
ears, kidneys and bowels are also dam
gerous, and remain SO for q consider
able time. Filth, all forms of unclean-
iless and neglect OF ventilation increase
the danger Of spreading the disease.
1t Is believed that the disease may
be communicated by person recover
Ing therefrom 80 long az the usual sub
sequent scaling or peeling Of the skin
continues, which sometimes Ia not
completed before the lapse of seventy
or eighty days, although usually COM
pleted sooner. The Interval of tire
which may elapse after exposure to
the c0ntagium of scarlet fever, and
during which susceptible person SO
exposed may expect to be taken sick
with the disease, varies from one to
fourteen days. Whenever child has
sore throat and fever, and especially
when this Is accompanied by rash on
the body. the child should be imme-
diately isolated a. completely as posi-
BILE from other members Of the house
hold and from other persons until q
physician has seen 1t and determined
whether 1t has scarlet fever. AN per-
sons Eno,pn to be sick tVith this disease
should be promptly and thoroughly
isolated from the public.
The room into which one sick with
disease Is placed should previously be
cleared OF all needless clothing, carpets.
drapery. and other materials likely to
harbor the poison of the disease, except
such articles as are essential to the
well-being Of the patient. The sick
room may have no carpet, or only
pieces which can afterward be destroy
ed. Provision should be made for the
introduction ofa liberal supply offresh
air, and the continual change OF the air
of the room without sensible currents
or drafts. Pockethandkerchiefs. that
need to be saved, should not be used
by the patient; small pieces Of rag
should be substituted therefor, and after
being once used should be Immediately
burned. Soiled bed and body linen
should be placed in vessels Of water
containing chlorinated soda, chlor-
mated lime or other disinfectant before
removal from the sick room. The dis
charges from the patient should all be
received into vessels containing chlor-
mated lime commonly called 'chlor-
ide Of lime," sulphate Of iron, or some
other known disinfectant, and the
same buried at once, and not by any
means be thrown into q running
stream, nor into o cesspoOl or water
closet, except after having been thor
oughly disinfected. All vessels should
be kept scrupulously clean. and disin-
fected. Persons who are attending up
on children or other persons suffering
from scralet fever, and also the men,
bers of the patients family, should not
mingle with other people nor permit
the entrance Of children into their
house. Funerals of those dying from
scarlet fever should be strictly private
and the corpse not exposed to view.
Ali persons recovering from scarlet
fever should be considered dangerous,
and therefore should not attend
school, church, or any public assembly,
or use any public conveyance, 80 long
as any scaling or peeling Of the skin,
soreness of the eyes or air passages, or
symptoms Of dropsy remain. No per-
son recovering from scarlet fever
should thus endanger the public health,
nor appear in public until after having
taken four times, at intervals of two
days, thorough bath. This cleans
ing, however, should be deferred until
the physician In charge considers It
prudent. After recovering from scar
let fever no person should appear in
public wearing the same clothing worn
while sick with or recovering from
this disease, except such clothing has
been thoroughly disinfected by some
such method "a herein specified.
Whenever case Of this disease oc-
ours In locality, prompt and vigor-
oas action should be taken for the re-
striction of the disease, by early isola-
tiOn of those sick with the disease and
by the destruction or disinfectiOn Of
all articles likely to be infected. Plain
and distinct notices should be placed
upon the premises or house In which
there is person sick with scarlet fever,
and no child that has not had the dis
ease should be allowed to enter, or to
with persons who do enter
such premises or room.
HOUSEHOLDER, ,ph ysicians, and boards
Of health have duties to the public.
some of which are specified in section
1874, 1875, 1872 and 1896 of the Com
piled Laws Of Michigan, 1871, as fol-
lows:
"Q7H sKc ~. Whenever any Householder
hall know that any person within his family IL
taken sick with the small pox or any cher disease
givc notfce thereof 70 he Board Of HeauA or 70 the
leoih officer Of the township In which he resides
md II he shall refuse or neglect TO give such mo-
ali7S5) sEc. "A. whenever any pArsician shall
Know that any person whom he Ii called TO visit Il
Infected with small pox or any other disease dan0er
lately oire ssfies thereof to the Board Of Health
y health ofacer OF the township IN which such
diseased person may be and every physician who
ha refuse neglect TO give such notice, shall for
eft for each ofiense, sum not lea than $50 nor
more than $780," HsHr I'll
"u7s2.) sHc n. When the small pox or any
khsr dscase Dangerous 10 ne pwbc Aeoh6 - found 70
.xist In any township, gs Board cf Health shall
W possbie 10 prevent Ms pvsadima qf kks tajeo
fon and 70 give public nsfce Of SHiecled places TO
ravelers BY such means In their Judgment shall
,e most efYsctual for the common safetyn
"(l695) SRc l. The said board shall also mako
uch regulations ~ they may deem necessary for
he public health and safety, respecting any articles
chich capable Of coniatnin0o CONVEYING any tn-
ecfio~ eoniagon Of creating any steknsss when
uch articles shall be brought into or conveyed
rom, their township, or into or from any vessel
md n any person shall violate any such rcgula-
Ion, he shall forfeit sum net exceeding $780,"
All clothing. carpets, curtains, furni-
,ure and other substances that are to
De destroyed should be dealt with In
! way to avoid conveying the poison
20 any person In the process they |
'hould not be simply thrown away, or
nto some stream or body of water I; |
md II burned should be completely |
burned and not simply heated or dealt |
with In way to diffuse the poison Of
he disease. iN l'H gFr
A N s,,ch iy, Ecckod s,bstancs-e which