Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-11-23

MEANS BY WHICH 1T MAY lie AyEarED.

MEANS BY WHICH 1T MAY lie AFERTED.
At the meeting of the Board OF Health.
Of New Haven, Conn, Health Offer Lind
sey submitted the following paper. IL will
be printed in pamphle: form for general
circulation Diphtheria is both Il contaS-
iOus and an Infectious disease it Is. mere
over, pre-emlnently one of the class OF filth
dlscases-that Is. it occurs most frequently
and in the most malignant aud fatal form
where dampness and dIrt do most prevail.
lhe means OF protection, therefore, ObvI-
Uusly lie In avoIdaEce OF exposure to Its
presence and in the most SerupulOus atten-
tIOn To cleanliness. Absolute ISOLATION of
the sick. the most rigid purity OF Surround
ings, aided by disinteetion when qlired.
would probably exterminate rhe disease
The veteran sanitarlan, DR.. f NJ. Snow, OF
Providence. says that where there abuu-
daut sunlight, dryness. cleanness and pure
air, diphtheria cannot prevail. Toe same
conditions will protect almost as efecrally
from most other dangerous diseases. Such
being the truth. neither individuals nor
communities can afford 10 ignore the fact that
they are In great degree responsible Tor
their own health.
When a case occurs in aay family, the
sick person should be placed In a room apart
from the other inmates ut the house aud
should be nur~ed a. far as possible by one
person OniV. The sick chamber should be
well warmed. we'll aired, and exposed to
sunlight; its furnlturs should be such as
can be cleanSed without injury and all super
tluOus things, sucn as window aud table
drapery ,wOOllen carpets ard the like should
be removed. The family should not mInsle
with other people. Visitors should be
warned OF the presence 0i II contagious dis
case, and children should not be ADMITTED
10 the house.
All clothing removed from the p4tieat
should be at Once placed in boiling water
instead of handkerGhieis soft pieces OF linen
or cotton cloth should be used and lmme-
diatey burned Dlsiufeetants should be
placed in all the vessels which receive the
exptctOratinn or other discharges from the
patient. DIsin!ectantS should be freely
used in the sick room. Those which de
strOy bad Udur without causing others ara
best. such solutions of nitrate OF lead
and chloride OF zinc.
The sick person should not mingle with
others until iully recovered, and in cases of
scarlet fever until all rOughneSS of the skin.
due to the disease. has disappeared, because
the extoliated SKIN Is especially infectious.
The disIniectiun OF the sick roou should
he thorough The walls should bo dry
rubbed and the cloths used burned without
stalking the ceiling should be seTaped and
lime WASHED The floor and woodwork
should be washed with soap and wafer.
The clothiag Oi bedGiUI used by the patient
or nurse should BE- Puufsd by boiling for at
least one hour, and should always be clean
I'd by themselves. and under no circdm
stances should they bs sent TO u Laundry
In case ui death the body should be placed
u early as possible 10 the cVlhn, with dlsin-
iectluts AMI the coihn tightly closed.
Children certainly, and IC u9St cases
adults, should not attend funeral from II
house in which death from Giphtheris or
scarlet lever has occurred But with suit
abe precautions 1t Is r1t necessary that this
burial shoai be St5tttlv private, provided
THAI .he corr E6 nut N any way exposed.
Il car children are especially liable To
II a. and to spread the L Gle a>tS, eLd he-
c,t:~t. schools al ord 4 ;rce UpportdHlY isr
this. every child from any t.Iil!y In when
a ,ts,, ni tIthtr Of these diseases has occur
r, d should be excluded tfdm scrool. aud bo
readmIrtcd no sooner than one month from
the beginning OF the disease, except upon
the certificate ct some competent ply
>irIau that II will b. safe
All the above precautions concern the
dangers -: tuntaeI,n. But the continued
prevalence Of these diseases IN any com
munitN - probable evidence ot lnsanlfary
surroundings and sources of sickness,
partially rr wholly preycUtahlo. The most
,xrmplary housewife whose tOme Ia tho
very model of ueatucs' and order may have
all her fhris defeated IN a sanitary sense
hv a detective sIuk-trap or lesky dram
pipe, or AN ovcril'wIug ces,p"ll or m IN
tralued cellar. OF even by heap of decay
Ing garbage IN her neIghb0r : yard.
therefore. look well TO the surroundings.
Abolish hth, remove dampncss and all
souiccs ot foul air, especially iTOm living
and sleeping rooms Di>iuteet thoroughly
ali suspected places in yards and neglected
corners
The following disinlcctant Is both very
cbcap and ificient Take OF copperas (-ul-
Ihate OF iron) tive pounds, and dissolve IN
three gallons Of water.