The daily gazette., 1879-07-26
FIRST EDITION.
Restriction and Prevention or Scar
'h let Fever,

% STATE BOARD OF HEATH.
Scarlet fever is now believed to be one
of the most contagious diseases. TThis
d sease Is sometimes called "Scarlatina,"
Scarlet Rash," "Canker Rash," etc.
One attSck usually prevents subsequent
attacks. The greatest number of deaths
from this disease are of children under
ten years of age. Adult persons do
sometimes have the disease. Scarlet
fever is believed to arise from a special
contagium or poison which may be con-
veysd, TO persons previously unaffected,
by personal contact, by infected clothing
or paper rags, or by any of thedischarges
from the body Of a person affected with
the disease. .s.., i.Ii ...'. B iI :.
The discharges from the throat, nose,
and mouth are considered extremely
dangerous, but those from the skin, eyes,
ears, kidneys and bowels, are also dan
gerous, and remain so for considerable
time. -ssss
Filth--All forms of uncleanness, and
neglect of ventilation increase the dan
ger of spreading the disease.
COmmunication-t is believed tina
the disease may be communicated by a
person recovering therefrom so long as
The usual subsequent scaling or peeling
of the skin, continues, Which soinetim es
is not completed before the lapse Of sew
enty or, eighty days, although, usually
completed sooner.
The interval of time which may elapse
after exposure TO the contagium Of
scarlet fever and during which suscep-
tible person so exposed may expect to
be taken sick with the disease, varies
from one 10 fourteen days. Ftift
Separation of the sick from the we'll
Whenever a. child has sore throat and
fever, and especially when this
is accompanied by. a rash on
the body the child should be
| Immediately isolated as completely
as possible fom other members OF the
household, and from other persons, un-
ill physician has seen it and determin-
ed whether it has scarlet fever. All per-
sons known to be sick with this disease
should b promptly and thoroughly so-
lated from the public.
that this Is OF more importance thar
In the case OF smallpox is ihdIcated by
lhe fact OF the m uch greater number OF
cases Oi sickness md OF deaths from scar
ct fever,-a diseake In VIII ich there IL no
uch prevent We kn Jwn as vaccination.
The room into which one sick with
this disease is placed should previously
be cleared Of all needless clothing, car
pets, drapery, and other materials likely
TO harbor the poison of the disease, ex-
cept such articles as are essential to the
well-being Of the pat The sick
room may have no carpet, or only pieces
which can afterwards be destroyed. Pro-
vision should be made for the introduc-
tion of liberal supply of fresh air and
! the continual change of the air of the
,, room without sensible currents or drafts.
Pocket handkerchiefs, that need to be
/ saved should not be used by the patient;
small pieces OF rag should be substtu ed
therefor, and after being once used
should re Immediately turned. ttr
Soiled bed and body linen should be
placed in vessels of water containing
chlorinated soda, chlorinated lime or
other disinfectant before removal from
the sick room. ....
For this purpose chlorlnated soda Is the
neaiest, and most convenient because II
Its disinfecting properties by age. .Chlor-
mat lime II used too freely may destroy
articles or clothing with which 1t comes IL
yontact, but II properly used 1t ls the sa a'st
as a disinfectant.
The discharges from the patient should
all be received into vessels containing
chlorinated lime Commonly called
"chloride of lime, y sulphate of iron, or
some other known disinfectant, [Car
bolic acid in dilute form as generally
used is not believed to be disinfectant.]
and the same buried at once, and not
| by any means be thrown into running
stream, nor into cesspool, or water
closet, except after having been thor
oughly disintected. All vessels should
be kept scrupulously clean and disin-
fected. ........
Perfect cleanliness of nurses and at
tendants should be enjoined and secured.
AS the hands of nurses OF necessity be-
come frequently, contaminated by the
poison of the disease, good supply Of
| towels and two basins-One containing
solution Of chlorinated soda (Lsb-
aracque's solution) clOrinated lime or
other dsinfecting solution, and another
for plain soap and water, should be al
ways at hand and freely used.
Persons who are attending upon chill
dren or other persons suffering from
Scarlet Fever, and also the members OF
the patients family, should not mingle
with other people nor permit the en-
| trance of children into their house. ,-
Funerals of those dying from Scarlet
Fever should be strictly private and the
| corpse not exposed to view. To avoid
mistakes, notices of sucli deaths in tho
papers should state that the deceased
died of Scarlet Fever.
| All persons recovering from Scarlet
| Fever should be considered dangerous.
and therefore should not attend school,
church, or any public assembly, or use
| any public conveyance, so long az any
scaling or peeling of the skin, soreness
of the eyes or air passages, or symptoms
| of dropsy remain. No person recovering
from Scarlet Fever shOnld thus endanger
the public health nor appear in public
until after having taken four times, at In
tervals OF two days, thorough bath.
This cleansing, however, should be de-
ferred until the physician In charge con-
siders it prudent. After recovery from
Scarlet Fever, no person should appear
| in public wearing the same clothing
worn while sick with or recovering from
this disease, except such clothing, has
been thoroughly disinefcted by some
such method as herein specif fled.
| Gaseous disiufeciion, or flmigation,
can only be completely and entirely ef-
fectLal in the absence of living persons,
as fumes strong enough for the purpose
are destructive Of human life. This need
not deter from doing so much rs Is pos.
sible, without injury to sick persons, for
Ilis publication Of the air of rooms oc-
cupied by them,-a liberal supply Of pure
air should be secured; but after the sick
have recovered, the room, furniture, and
other contents not to he DESTROYED. ).