The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-02-28
fragments, and gone to the demnitiOn bow
sCARLfT FEVER.
Plans Of the Faculty for Preventing and
AIIeviaiing the PestfIence.


AIIeviating the PestiIence.
DR.. DeWolf. the commissioner of health Of
Chicago. has recently sent to the different
physicians of the city the following instruc-
tons:
Scarlet fever is contagious, and may be
conveyed from the sick TO the well through
the medium of any substance which has re-
manned in the infected atmosphere, as cloths
ing, pieces of paper, crockery, furniture,
locks OF hair. and also by animals as
pet dogs and cats. The poison is
present in the skin of those sick.
in the breath in the secretious of the nose
and throat and in all the discharges from the
body. 1t is not certainly known at what
time those who have been sick have
lost their power of injecting the well,
but 1t is probably true that so long as any
dry particles are separating from the skin
the danger of infection is still present.
Whenever a child is attacked with scarlet
fever in family with other children, the
probabilities are great that if the proper
precautions are taken those not af-
fected may be protected from the dis
ease This Is important to remember for
all attempts 10 stop the spread of the disease
must be based upon this act The person
affected, no matter how mild the attack
should be at once confined to an upper room,
if possible, from which all the furniture not
required for the use of the patient should be
removed; this should include all the wall
and mantle ornaments, with carpets, rugs
and curtains. In the houses of the poor. or
where from any cause an upper room can
not be procured, one should be selected as
far removed as possible from that generally
occupied by the family, and which can be
shut off from the household quarters. All
persons, the nurse and medical attendant
excepted, should be vigorously excluded
from the sick room, and no clothing. cloth,
discharges or article of any description
should be removed from this room until dis
infected as directed
Fresh and pure air is the great disinfect-
ant and the sick room should be kept well
ventilated, under the physicians direction.
by an open fire place and chimney, or by
windows opened TO the external air. Raise
the lower sash three or four inches, and
place in the opening piece of board made
TO fit exactly, BY this means free currents
of air are obtained through the space be-
tween the sashes above. There are other
practical means which should be made Use
of to destroy the disease germs Csrbolic
acid is the cheapest and best of the chemical
disinfectants. 4 solution of five grains of
the acid 10 one ounce OF water is believed
to destroy all the low forms of animal or
Vegetable organisms with which ii is brought
in contact. The grade known as commercial
druggist in pound bottles for eighty-hye
cents bottle.
To effect the disinfection Of rooms. all
crevices around windows and doors should
be closed by passing over them pieces OF pa
per- Jumps of brimstone-one pound for
every thousand cubic feet of space-should
be put into an iron dish and placed over a
tub of water to protect against
fire This being set on fire, the doors,
should be closed and the room al
lowed to remain without interference for
four hours it may then be thoroughly ven
tilated. As means of purifying air in
dwellings the influence of all disinfectants.
other than those spoken OF, is very small. IL
not totally nI, because of the small degree
of concentration that can be used without
injury to the health of the occupants.
Liquid carbolie acid for disinfecting water
closets and yards, and WHICH should be
diluted with three parts water when used,
can be purchased from wholesale druggists
for about IS cents per gallon. Carbolic
acid for disinfecing purposes will
be supplied by the department
to all persons upon the representa-
ton OF the attending physician that the APP
plicant is too poor to purchase it himself.
A solution should be prepared by mixing
in pail or vessel two ounces of acid with
six parts of water, and this solution, costing
about nine cents for the six parts, should
always be kept in the sick room for use. All
discharges from the body should be imme-
diately covered or mixed with an equal
quantity of this solution, and all clothing OF
the patient used should be thoroughly
saturated and soaked in the solution before
leaving the room. CT thing then can not
be washed or boiled, but should be saturated
with the disinfecting solution, which
will not injure il, and then given q
prolonged exposure to air and sun
light 4 sheet wet with the solution should
be kept suspended before the door from top
to bottom, and in case of death the body
should be wrapped in a sheet thoroughly
saturated with it. All funeral gatherings at
the house of the infected are disapproyed OF,
and all persons should avoid such houses asl
far as possible.
On recovery the sick person should not
mingle with the well until the roughness OF
the skin due TO the disease shall have disap-
peared One month is considered an aver
age period during which isolation is needed.
| In a previous circular sent out to physicians
| the suggestion was made that public funer-
ais, in case of scarlet fever and like diseases,
| should be suppressed.