Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-02-18

and cumulative OF It's master, should pro-
mote the work of sanitary reform.
Recess was then had till 2 p NJ.
afternoon Session.
The council reassembled at 2:30 o'clock,
and was called to order by Chief Justice
Gilfillan, who announced that the first
paper would be by Rev. r. F. Sample.
Subject: ''The
HYGIENE OF THE HOME,
from Clergyman's Standpoint
Mr.. Sample said clergymen had duty
to perform in efforts to secure
and maintain the public health. The
first essential in maintaining health was
perfect cleanliness of the person, in
which he took strong grounds against
cold water baths, in favor Of tepid water
with a-free use of soap. The second es-
sential is proper ventilation of our homes,
upon which he regretted to say there
was general and most lamentable igno-
rance, and from lack of
which much of the sickness of the day
came The atmosphere was fitted by the
allwise being to maintain health, but the
plans of constructing and ventilating
our houses shut this pure air out, and
compelled the absorption Of the poison
Gus atmosphere shut within the dwellings.
For a remedy he recommended as steps
in the right direction discarding stoves
and furnaces for open fire places, WIN
dows unshaded by heavy curtains,
bare floors, and open spaces
either by door or window
during certain hours of the day. Allud-
ing to the dread disease diphtheria, he adj
vocated the perfect seclusion of the pa
tient from all but his immediate attend
ants, and in case of death an exclusive
funeral. He closed with an earnest APP
peal for more attention to the sanitation
of our homes, and of our cities, villages
and public places.
CITY PHYSICIANS AND HEALTH OFFICERS
Upon the conclusion of the paper, DIR.
Boardman offered a resolution reciting
that bill was pending in the legislature
for combining the offices of city physician
and health officer of Minneapolis, and de-
claring that in the opinion of the council
the two Offices should be kept distinct.
Dr. Evans supported the resolution
and it was adopted by unanimous
vote.
INFECTIoUsNEss OF DIPHTHERIA
At this point, by request, DR.. Fey tt
again called up the question of diphthe-
ria, and called upon DR.. Berry, of New
Ulm, to give some of his experience with
the disease serving to prove its infec-
tiousness DR.. Berry told of the circum-
stance of child, only temporarily in a
house where the disease had been, car
rying the infection to its own home, forty
miles, and where there had been no case
before, herself and two other members Of
theSfamily takingSthe disease aud dying.
A more terrible example occurred in the
town of Mortified, Brown county. 1t is
Lutheran Swede community. A case
of diphtheria occurred, and he was called
in He promptly notified the family and
the parish priest of the malignant char
acter of the disease, and advised the
strictest isolation His advice was re-
fused The disease spread rapidly. One
day there were five funerals from the
church, attracting a large attendance, all
of whom viewed the remains. The con-
sequence was, that nearly or quite two
thirds of the children of that township
died of the disease, while in two adjoin-
ing towns in which the disease appeared,
in which isolation was prac-
ticed, the disease was soon con-
ouered. The disease still prevails
at New Ulm, Sleepy Eye and points be-
yond, though having learned by expert
ence, it is not so destructive Of life as at
first When it first broke out in New
Ulm he had. forty three calls in forty
eight hours, and the deaths were at the
rate of ten per week. His practice en-
braced about two thirds of the population,
among whom he had not had but one
case for some time, and that came from
sending the child to the public school
contrary to his orders. Owing to the i'm
perfect ventilation and other defects in
construction of school buildings, churches
and other public buildings,
the Infection was still retained
in them. AS showing the benefit result
ing from pure air, he mentioned one
time when he had some thirty patients,
twenty of whom he thought would die in
the next twenty-four hours. Just then
there came terrific rain, flco ling the
streets. washing away the accumulated
filth and purifying the air, and from that
storm his patients began to mend and all
recovered In conclusion he advocated
strict isolation and quarantine.
DR.. Davis, of Mankato, where diphthe
ria has been epidemic, detailed some of
his experiences. He cited especially the
case of Mr.. Randall, who lost four Of five
children, the surviving being from home
at the time. The house was thoroughly
disinfected and in about two weeks the
surviving child, contrary to the advice OF
physicians, was brought home, and in a
few days it was taken sick in the same
manner as the other children and
died. At first there was
a difference. of opinion among the
physicians of Mankato as to whether the
disease was Infectious, but the operation
of the disease had brought about unity of
opinion on that point. For himself he
did not think the disease was the result
of dirt, etc., but partook of the nature OF
small poX The best treatment he could
recommend was quarantine to which he
believed in time would be added vaccina-
ton. We know much more of the treat
ment but of no specific.
THE Y. NJ c. A. AND SANITATION.
The next paper read was by D. r.
Noyes, upon the subject of the SANITARY
Influence eff the Y NJ. c. Association
upon Hygiene The specific work of
the associations was improvement of the
moral natures of its members, but care of
+Io c;ol, op6 c,,fforipr on6 aid of the