Blount County democrat. [volume] (Maryville, Tenn.) 1879-1883, 1880-05-12
Restriction and Prevention of
Scarlet Fever.

Restriction and Prevention of
Scarlet Fever.
The following document has been is
sued by .Ae Tennessee State Board OF
Health:
The State Board of Health desire to
disseminateas widely as possible among
the people of this State, the knowledge of
of certain facts and principles, which
seem to be well established, rs to the
nature and causes of Scarlet Fever, and
the rational means for its restriction and
prevention. TO that end they invite at
tentiOn to the following facts
/. Scarlet Fever--Or, is this disease Is
sometimes called, "Scarlatina," or
"Scarlet RASH" Or'Canker Rash, ="
etc.-is propagated by contagion or i'll
lection.
2. This cOntagiOn becomes operative
by inhaling the cXhalations, or by con-
tact with the person of one who is suffer-
ing with the disease, or by contact with
the discharges from the eyes, ears, nose,
throat, kidneys, and bowels of the sick |;
or with the clothing, bedding, carpets,
or other furniture which may have been
In use by the sick.
3. Young children are especially liable
to Scarlet FeYer-Older ones and adults
less so.
4. The period during which the disease
can be communicated may approximate
ly be placed at four weeks, supposing that
the patient has cOnValeSced and re-
mains free from fever and dropsical
symptoms.
The following measures are recommend
ed as preventives against the spread of
this most contagious disease:
/. Put no reliance in belladOnna, sui
phocarbolate of soda, or other so-called
antidOtes.
2. Put rigid quarantine upon tie
sick for period of at least three weekss
even if the disease exists in the mildeSt
form; and during this period exclude all
persons from the patients room who are
not necessarily in attendance there: Sc
cure, without sensible currents or drafts,
a continual change Of the air of the sick
room.
3. The clothing and bed-clothcs used
by the patient should be disinfected by
soaking in weak solution of chlorinated
soda before their removal from the room,
and subsequently they should be thor
Oughly boiled. ...'
1 The discharges of the sick should be
received in vessels containing solution
of sulphate of iron or copperas lin the pro-
portion ofabout three pounds of coppcraS
to one gallon of water, and should he al
IN,
priVy or water-clOset.
5. Those in attendance upon the sick
should not mingle with other members
of the household who are liable to have
the disease, and the parties 20 exposed
should repeatedly rinse the mouth and
garglc the throat with some mild astring-
ent.
6. In ease of death by scarlet fever,
the funeral notice should state the fact,
and the funeral should be Il strictly
private one.
Z. Members Of any household where
scarlet fever exists, whether mild or
should refrain from mingling
with children in schools. churches. Sun
or other indoor places
and association with adults should be-
restricted as much as possible,
s. a person convalescent from scarlet |
fever must he considered dangerous as
long as scaling Of the skin continues, or
any symptoms of dropSy remain; and |
such person should not appear in public, |
after all symptoms have disappeared, |
until he has taken Il full bath three OF |
four times, ut intervals of two days.
His clothing, if worn at all during his
sickness, must also have been thorough
ly diSinfected.
8. All articles of clothing in use by
any of the sick, and all articles of furni-
ture used in the sick room, should be
disinfected, Boiling is
is the best means of dsinfecting
clothing, and for the disinfection of fur
niture, it should be subjected for eight
or ten hours to dense fumes of burning
sulphur, in Il close room. The room
which has been occupied by a scarlet fe-
YER patient should be newly painted and
or kalsolnined. Any article
which cannot be disinfected should be
burned.