The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-03-13
What to Do in Cases OF Diphtheria.

The following is from the circular of
the Massachusetts State board of health
In the first place, as diphtheria is con-
tagious disease, and under certain Cir
cumstances not entirely known, very
highly go, it is important that all prac-
ticai means should be taken to separate
the sick from the we'll. As it is also
infectious, woolen clothes, carpets, cur
tains, hangings, etc., should be avoided
in the sick-room, and only such ma.
terial used as can be readily washed.
All clothes, when removed from the
patient, should be at once placed in hot
water. Pocket-handkerchiefs should be
laid aside, and in their stead soft pieces
of linen or cotton cloth should be used,
and at once burned.
Disinfectants should always be placed
in the vessel containing the expectora-
ton, and may be used somewhat freely
in the sick-room; those being especially
useful which destroy bad odors without
causing others (nitrate of lead, chloride
of zinc, etc). In schools there should
be especial supervision, as the disease is
often 80 mild in its early stages as not
to attract common attention; and no
child should be allowed to attend school
from an infected house until allowed to
do 30 by a competent physician. In the
case of young children, all reasonable
care should be taken to prevent undue
exposure to the cold.
Pure water for drinking should be
used, avoiding contaminated sources OF
supply; ventilation should be insisted
on, and local drainage must be carefully
okt Id 10 Dryxv n,,6 In
where they exist, should be frequently
emptied and disinfected; the water
should not be allowed to soak into the
surface of the ground near dwelling
houses, and the cellars should be kept
dry and sweet. In cities, especially in
tidal districts, basins, baths, etc., as
now connected with drains, should
never communicate directly with Sleep
ipg-rooms.
In all cases OF diphtheria, fully as
great care should be taken in disinfect.
ing the si' k.room, after use, as in scar
let fever. After death from diphtherio,
the clothing disused should be burned
or exposed to nearly or quite heat of
boiling water; the body should be placed
as early as practicable in the coffin, with
disinfectauts, and the coffin should be
tightly closed. Children, at least, and
better adults also in most cases, should
not attend fur eral from house in
which a death from diphtheria has oc-
Cured. But with suitable precautions,
it is not necessary that the funeral
should be private, provided the corpse
be not in any way exposed.
Although it is not at present possible
to remove at once all sources of epi-
demic disease. yet the frequent vista
tion of such disease, and especially its
continued prevalence, may be taken as
sufficient evidence of ipsanitary sur
roundings, and of sources of sickness to
certain extent preventable.
1t should be distinctly understood
that no amount OF artificial "disinfec.
tion" can ever take the place of pure
air, good water and proper drainage,
which cannot be gained without prompt
and efficient removal of all filth, whether
from slaughter houses, ETC., public
buildings, crowded tenements or pri.
vate residences.