Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-02-16
Suggestive Facts.

Last simmer, IN JOnnStOWn. fulton
county. New York, in shanty two
were stricken with diphtheria
and died. Shortly afterward family
from distance mode visit to the houset
and the children among the visitors slept
in the very same bed in which the frs,
children had died. They went home, and
soon after had an attack of diphtheria.
An infant who had sickened and died in
the neighborhood was carried in its moth.
er's arms forty miles across the country,
two other children riding in the same
conveyance. Fhey carried the disease
with them, and from one to ano.her it
was propsgaled until il reached the
village of Worthwhile. The first fatal case
here was that of an admired child, over
whom public funeral was held in
church; the corpse was carried in by
child bearers, companions of the dead
one; the church WAS crowded principally
with children; sermon was preached,
and the body was followed to the grave
by long concourse of people. young and
old. Within week there were forty.sx
cases Of diphtheris in the place.
During the past year, the village of
Montclair. N. j., veal by gentleman
had built for himself residences In which
every device which money could secure
and science suggest for the promotion of
the health Of the inmates was adopted
The location was upon a hillside. about
three hundred feet above the ses-level;
the ground dry and sloping toward the
east; the house exposed on all sides to
the direct rays of the sun; the cellar dry.
The plumbing in the house was confined
to the kitchen. the laundry, the bathroom.
and the bedroom on the second floor.
Every waste pipe was trapped, and every
trap ventilated. The soil-pipe extended
above the roof. The cess pool was thor
oughly ventilated. Nearly every room in
the house had its separate ventilating
shaft. For warming the house was
provided furnace. the popularity Of
which was that it presented large radia-
ting surface, so as not TO overhead the air.
rs still further guard against the evils of
overheatsd sir this radiating surface was
covered With Il coating Of clay, and
large water pan vas placed in the hot air
chamber; TO furnish the hot air chamber
with fresh and pure air, cold.air bsx
WAS constructed, which opened at the
surface of the ground outside of the
house. A cemented pit was constructed,
into which was thrown the refuse from
the kitchen and the stable. The house.
hold consisted of thirteen members, seven
adults and six children, all unusually
healthy. The father and mother and the
six children slept in bedrooms warmed by
the heated air from the furnace. Early
in December the contents of the refuse pit
were taken out and spread on adjacent
ground to the west OF the house Shortly
afterward succession Of warm and moist
days occurred, during which prevailing
westerly winds swept over this Extensively
odorous field toward the house, the cold
air box of which opened in a favorable
manner to suck in and distribute through
out the house the disesse-laden air. Four
children and the mother speedily developed
diphtheria, and all but one died. OF the
members of the household whose sleeping
rooms were not heated by the furnace not
one was attacked; and of all the ntten-
dants, physicians, nurses and feiends who
we're brought into close relations with the
sick day and night for more than ten days,
with possibly one exception, not . person
contracted the desease.
A person acquainted only with the first
series of cases would claim that diphthera
is highly contagious, and that in its propa-
CATION contact with previously existing
case is necessary. One knowing only the
second series would claim that it is not
contagious at all, and that exposure to the
emanations of decomposing ogzenic mater
isl Is its true source. One familiar with
both realizes that in diphtheria is seen AN
example OF what is common to all diseases