Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-09-25
Diphthera.

JcCttVuo @socooc " yIcUe ocCGTuy ara
frequent fatality. Ia view Of these
facts, The State Board OF Health urges
upon the citizens of Wisconsin the
exercise Of such pr, cautions as ex.
perience has proven to be effectual
10 it's restriction and prevention,
and to this end calls attention to
the following facts and suggestions:
ITS RELATION TO FILTH AS A CAUSE
Diphtheria occurs most frequently,
and in its most fatal forms, an locaIi-
lies whjch are filthy. 1t does not
matter whether the filth exists in
visible and disgusting forms, such
as the garbage heap. the cess-pool
or tho privy vault, or 10 the invisi.
bic and possibly inodorous gases
from an lily constructed sewer, from
vegetables IN the cellar, or in the
poisonous exhalations from the hui
man body in unventilated rooms
Its effect are to lower the vitality of
any kind, and fit it tor the develop
ment of the worst Of any prevailing
epidemic.
From any form of filth, either
upon your own Or your neigh boris
premises, posoinous vepors may fill
the house, to be inhaled with every
breath or the Ies.ohins of dlth may
penetrste through mar f, st Of soil
aad pollute the wa'er rupI ~, v hieh
to casual Inspection appe srs pure.
Diphtheria has often appt AIRED
where such unc sanl7 Conditions
have prevailed, , hen it could not
DO traced to CONT uou, pre- pagi.tion
by infection or ntal.ion, that its
relation TO filth "a eau 10 is well
established, and as tight y chrac-
teri<cd as pre- emf, 'ntly I'll. n disease
/ ITS CONTAGIOUS AMI ItFECI IoUs
CHAR cTEr.
Whatever ma b. IT. origin,
Diphtheria is u"q esti naby CO nta.
gious aud infec Gus, az may be
communicated fIain one s;ck with
the disease TO ano her ,y the breath
though tho air ~h.oh slrro 4nds him
or by the secretIoas or discharges
from his person
IL may also, but with less certain.
" be carried from one place TO
another and communicated bymeans
Of clothing, food and other articles,
which have heen contaminated in
the sick room.
As q rule the danger Of exposure
20 the disease is in proportion TO the
malignancy OF the case, bat to this
there are many exceptions, and ex
posufe to the mildest case may be
followed by the severest form Of the
disorder. Children are most suscep.
tible to the disease and may con
tract it in it's worst type from kiss
of an adult who has what appears
to be but trivial "sore tht oat."
The time that elapses between
exposure to and the subsequent de.
vellpment OF Diphthera in the per-
son xpossd bears some rels ion to
the malignancy of the disease and
its prevalence as an epidemic at the
time. Usually it appears within
the first week, but in exceptional
cases its apr earaDce may be delayed
to much later period.
SPECIAL MANAGEMENT OF CASES
1t is Of the first impor ance that an
outbreak OF the disease should be
the signal for the immediate obssr-
vance OF those precautions which
are known to be most efftctual in
the restriction of any contagious
disease, and 10 this respec. the treat
ment should be as vigorous So in a
case of small pox or scarlet fsver,
the one rule Of most Imperative neces-
sity being the isolation CT the patient.
Immediately upon the appearance
of the disease, the patiort should be
removed to room as remote as DOS
81 de from family occupancy. This
room should be prepared tor his re
ception BIZ removing from it all
supeifiuous furniture, especially such
as wooden carpets, extra clothing,
books and all window curtains, able
spreads and 9th r similar articles
which cannot 80 sub equ' ntly
cleansed by boilir
The room SD aid be large and
J sunny, and il is ter if 1T be in the
upper part of the house. Par leu
lar care should I taken have il
! ventilated as thor ughiy az pos sible
while the patient pr3tec ed rom
any direct draugl .. IL orc err u di
lute the poisoned tmo$phsts to the
utmost extent. his will be flcili
tated and the ca e o tn, pa lent
rendered easier, it b prf ctib,e to
place the bed SO ss % m Ike &C.
cessible from all les.
No one should b. admitted 10 the sich
room Except the necessary attendants
whose garments should be made Of
such material as will admit of being
cl. ! by boiling
No food which has been in the sick
room should be partakeu of by the
, well even the dishes which have
contained such food should be
clesnsed by themselves.
ODuer no circumstances snOulu the
patients soiled bed or body linen be
mixed with other soiled clothing, or
be admitted to the general wash it
sho1ld be at once cleansed by boiling
water.
For the cleansing of the mouth and
nose from the discharges which are
sometimes copious and always dam
gerous, bits of linen or cotton cloth,
or pieces of soft paper should be used
and Immediately burned.
Discharges from the bowels or
bladder, which are also sources OF
danger, should be received in vessels
containing disinfecting fluids, and as
soon as possible removed from the
room and buried. If received on
cloths, these should be burned.
For the purposes Just mentioned, copperas,
otherwise known as sulphate of iron or green
vitriol, forms cheap, convenient and efficient
disintectant, l. is prepared for use by dis
solving two pounds OF copperas in gallon of
hot water. In malignant cases, it is recon-.
mended that an ounce of crude carbolic acid
be added to each quart Of this solution. These
materials also form good disniectant for
privies, drains and other foul places, and may
be prepared for this purpose by adding eight
pounds of copperas and one pint of crude car
bolc acid to five gallons of hot water From
{ n mint n a puarl 0f thiS s0lntfor neal