The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-02-23

tiun of the cOun, rv, eSpecl ally III Tie
Western States. I'm Chicago, the pre-
v,Ianra of the disease has excited
considerable alarm. aun several meet
ings Of the medical faculty oi the city
have been held for the discussion OF
t,e st modes for its prevention and
cure. In Boston. also, the disease is
being closely watched by She health
authorities OF the city, and they have
Issued very aimil able instructions ioi
its avo;dance and treatment, Wh!ch
will be found quoted below.
Scarlet fever is highly contagious,
and at I've same time exceedingly Ia
tai so that there should be no nail
wav measures taken 30 prevent It's
snraaa Wherever the disease has
manifested itself, the utmost vigilance
j. imperative to prevent cl0thihg or
other infected articles communicating
tne mllqdy to other persons. There
j. even dpnget of disseminating the
,ison by funerals, the .HedtcW RecoTd
tells us and the same authority cOuh-
tels the greatest care on the part oi
,.hvsicians lest they themselves, com
iur from the bedsides of patients, car
" the disease to non infected houses
Jhe protection Of school children VIII
aIso reo"ire great care and our cou-
I, mporarv stron. ly rccomme ii that
a borough system of medical in
spection he organized in cur now
crowded public schools.
At recent meeting in Chicago, the
physicians discussed at considerable
length the value of belladonna as q
specific for the r1alady. The daily
use of this drug as 4 prophylactlc
against scarlatina is 'emphatIcaily re-
commended :" out" continues the
resolution passed, only in doses So
attenuated as not to produce visible
effects upon the organism, and always
uirler the advice of the family phN 81
ciln." The other resolutions agreed
uDon are that isolation Is the next
onIv means that we know OF to pre-
vnut the spread of the disease, but we
G"precate arbitrary interference with
tie rights of families ~ and That we
have every reason to believe that such
a course wouldsre luce the frequency,
the severity, and the mortality OF this
disease, but will not wholly eradicate
il. nor do we know Of any means that
will"
The following is the Boston Board
of Health's circular: Scarlet fever is
like smallpox in its power 20 spread
leadily from person to person. 1t is
hirhlv contagious The disease
SHOWS its first signs in about one week
after exposure, as a general rule, and
persons who escape the iilne during
a ly,.night after exposure may feel
themselves safe from attack. Scarlet
fever. scarlatiEa, cunker, rash, and
rash fever are names OF one and the
same dangerous disease. When a
case Of scarlet fever occurs in any
family. the sick person should be
IIaced i'm a room apart from the other
inmates of the honse and should he
nIrsed as far as possible by one per
son only. The sick chamber should
he well warmed, exposed TO sunlight
and well aired It's furniture SHOULD
be such as will permit of cleansin.
without injury, and all extra articles
such rs window drapery and wooler
CARPETS. should be removed from tht
room during the sickness. The fami
L. should not mingle with other peO
lie Visitors to an infected hOuS
should be warned of the presence of
danuerous disease therein, and chill
dreu. especially, should not be admit
ted. On recovery, the sick persoi
should not mingle with the well anti
the roughness Of the skin, due to lii
disease. shall have disappeared. !
month is considered an average periot
during which isolation is needed. TIL
clothing. before being worn or useC
bv the patient or the nurse, should b
cleaused by boiling for a. least on
hour, or if that cannot be done, b.
free and prolonged exposure to out
door air and sunlight. The walls O
the room should be dry rubbed, an
the cloths used for the purpose shoul
be burned without previous shaking
The ceiling should be scraped an
whitened the floor should be washe
with soap and watei, and carbolic aci
NAV lie added to the water-one pin
to three or four gallons. The infecte
clothing should be cleansed by itsel
and not sent to the laundry. In cas-
OF death from scarlet fever, the fine
al services should be strictly private
and the corpse shonld not be expose
to view. Because children are espec
ally liable to take and spread scarlt
fever, and because schools afford
free opportunity for this, the Board {
Health has excluded from school ever
child from any family in which ca:
of the disease has occurred. and h:
decreed that the absence shall CONT
ue four weeks from the beginning
the attack. except in cases subject
the discretion of the Board. and tn
the scholar, to be re-admtted TO h
schoolroom, must have the certifica
of physician shat The required tin
has passed"
As regards this last provision,
localities where authorities do n