Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-11-12

SOME TIMELY HINTS As TO ITS PREVENTION.
So much excitement ut present prevails
throughout our community over the sudden
appearance of diphtheria and the dreadful
fatality of its attack that something regard
ing the Gauss. of the disease and the means
10 be employed for its prevention will be
most timely This is furnished by one Of
our most prominent physicians, in the fol
lowing article written for the FEE Press
In the first place, diphtheria is not Il con-
taIiouS disease, as we speak of contaglOn
in such affections rs scarlet fever small -pON
or measles. \ person exposed to Il case of
diphtheria might contract the disease but
could not carry it in his clothing unless Sc
cretions from the throat or portions of the
membrane had been expelled by the patient
and lodged in his garments. 1t iSnOt common
for adults to contract the disease, rs the mu-
cous membrane lining of their throat is not
81 susceptible to the poison rs in children :;
hut when the poison has once manifested it
self the course, severity, and result OF the
disease is precisely the same in youth or
middle age.
The ori.in or source Of this disease is now
pretty generally believed 10 be found in sink
sewerage, and not from all sewerage, rs
many imagine The sinks in our houses re-
Ccive the w;lShinGs of culinary articles AMI
contain animal or vegetable matter in greater
or less quantity, the greasy particles al
herring to the waste pines leading To the
street sewer or cess pool. Ii is the accumula-
ton of such material within these pipes
that leads to the development Of germs BAG
teria) which find their way into our rooms
and are inhaled by every member of the
household. The inner coating of any waste
pipe lra,!iu% from Our kitchen sinks, when
placed unt!rr the microscope, presents In"
same grru;nll cells cor bacteria rs the mem
hrane furnishes from the throat of Il patient
who is sal, ring from diphihgriI In no
other sryy,r..s,. can be found the same micros-
copicil germs and from the similarity Of
these To ih,.,.' found in the throat of diph-
thereto ;s,i, ats. il is fair To presume that in
sink scwrra., alone do We find the primary
cause of ihr disease.
The ciIrc, # this poisonwhcn first inhaled
is to prtLt,. an intense inflammation Of the
throat, and up to this time the disease is en-
trely local Only after absorption of tae
products of such Inflammation does 1t become
constitutional or general, and only after this
point has been reached does it require CON
stitutional treatment.
III. ,r.v.utinn of sn s,.ri,iis u di,pus,. is
If ,,,,., ,,.,,s,,uepce than g, discussion of lis
treatment. rs the results obtained from rem
,,lics a,,,,I,,,l haze bcrn favorable in only 4
sr,,u nrnportion of cases There apncars
IN he rnpti,Icrobl, confusion in the minds
If many rrsnectinr the Significance Of
ia. terms Jpojorilrr and disinfeclant.
II is customary 10 scatter through sinks,
cess pools. vaults. etc. substances having an
odor stronger than those cmanatin@ from
such places. with the belief that a dsin-
frrtant has been applied AMI therefore the
cause of disease removed. This. however.
is erroneous rs most ct the drodorilrrs used,
such us carbulic acid chloIidcol lime and the
like. are disiniectantS only To 4 very few OF
the many vegetable and animal germs Capa-
be of producing disease. If the cause OF
,lphihcria emitted IN odor and pcrmcatcd
our houses like the oIar of VINEGAR. onions
or garlic while undergoing the process of
,noLiug in ih,. kitchen. il might moi be- diff
emit 10 detect il or furnish an autid,tc
10 its ravascs. But NJ pcrccptillc o.!nr is
observed and therefore most uf the dro,.uriz-
,rs rmnIrvpl elrer, only th,. removal Of a
,,,s,rrrc,Ll, smell. leaving the more virulent
rois3n UNCHANGED. What then can he en-
plnyrd to disinicct our premises: In the first
place boiling water or steam destroys o2