Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-12-14

PRECAUTIONS AGAINST SPREAD OF SCARLET
FEVER AND DIPnTHKRA.- Our attention
has been called to a circular, recently issued
by DR.. j. Ii. Raymond. Sanitary Superin-
tendent, and Executive Officer of the Board
OF Health, of Brooklyn, N. Y, in reference
to the sanitary treatment OF Diphtheria and
Scarlet Fever. DIR. Raymond says that in
the nine months between January lst and
October LIST, 1877. there were reported to his
Office | sos cases of Diphtheria. of which
5Sl proved fatal and , .209 cases OF Scarlet
Fever, Of which 55S proved fatal. These
are astonishing rates of mortality-Over enc
fourth of the Scarlet Fever cases proving
fatal. DR.. Raymond pronounces both dis
eases highly contagious" and. by direc
ton of the Board of Health, gives the fo-
lowing directions for prevention of the
spread of the diseases
When Scarlet Ever or Diphtheris occurs,
| the sick person, child OF adult, should be
placed in poom apart from the other in
mates of the house, and should be nursed
by as w persons as possible.
The sick room should be comfortably
warm, exposed to sunlight and nell aired:
at the commencement OF the sickness only
such furniture, bedding. clothes, etc, as
are absolutely necessary should DO left in
the room: carpets and window curtains
should especially be removed. a. the germs
of disease find led gment in them and are
difficult to displace. The family should not
mingle with other people. Visitors should
be warned of the presence of dangerous
disease in the house. and no one should be
admitted.
The clothing and bedding OF nurse gnd
patient should be frequently changed, and
alter being moistOned with solution OF
Csrbolic Acid placed in boiling water for
one hour. No other clothing or bedding
should be washed at the same time with
that which is infected
The clothing and bedding while 10 use,
and the carpets. floors, walls and ceilings
and the halls OF the house should he sprins
led once or twice a day during sickness and
convalescence with solution Of Car bOiic
Acid. A solution of Carbolic Acid well
adapted to all such uses is sold by most
pharmacists, and may be easily made by
shaking together in a bottle the impure
Carbolic Acid and water in the proportion
of teaspooniul of the CsrbOlic Acid to a
pint of water. This is best applied by q
sprinkler, but may be well applied by Dip
ping the end of 4 common dust brush into |
the solution contained in dinner plate. |
and throwing it off the brush on bedding,
carpets. walls. etc.
On recovery from Scarlet Fever the sick |
person should not mingle with Others until |
all rOughnesS of the skin shall have disap- |
peared, as the scales from the skin carry the |
disease at least six weeks is considered 4 |
proper period during which such isolation
is necessary. In Diphtheris the patient
should remain isolated until the physician |
states him to be free from the disease.
When The patient has recovered. the |
wall of the room should be rubbed with a
dry cloth, and the cloth burned at once
without shaking. The ceiling should be
scraped and whitened. The floor should be
washed with soap and hot water, and Car
boilc Acid added to the water Zone pint to
three gallons).
In tho cleansing of clothing aud the
fum'"ati"n, every article which could
Lo>slbly have been infected should be IN
cluded. as even soiled handkerchefs may
communicate the disease. Should second
case occur, the entire house should be
fumigated with sulphur.