Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1882-12-09
Treating Diphtheria.
RULES SUGGESTED FOR PUBLIC GUIDANCE
BY THE PHILADELPHIA BOARD or
HEALTH.

| In Orucr 10 prevent the Sp!Sau u
diphtheria and to inform the public o.
the best means OF checking the spread
Of the disease and to provide the peo
pie with rules for treating the distem-
per, the Board of Health last week APP
pointed special committee TO prepare
a report on the subject The commit
tee, through DR.. Richardson, the
chairman, last week laid before the
board its report.
"Recent investigations having prov
ed that the poison of diphtheria is por-
table, communicable by infection and
capable of reproducing itself outside
of the human body" says the commit
tee, diphtheria must now be ranked
as both contagious and infectious dis
ease. the following rules are therefore
more imperative than ever before
"w hen child or young person has
a sore throat, a bad odor to lis breath,
and especially if it has fever, it should
Immediately be separated and kept Sc
cluded from all other persons except
necessary attendants until it be ascer
tanned or not # it has diphtheria or
some other communicable disease
Every person known to be sick with
diphtheria should be promptly and eff.
! fectually isolated from the public Only
those persons who are actually necessa-
ry should have charge of oe visat the
| patient and these visitors should be re
stricted in their intercourse with other
individuals. Children residing in a
house where there is case of diphthe
ria should not be permitted to attend
school.
" hen case of diphtheSia is fully
developed the same precautions IN re
gard 10 free ventilation, disposal and
disinfection OF discharges, bed or body
l.linen, and SO forth, isolation during
convalesCeace Cor management OF the
corpse should death unfortunately &C
cur) ought to be enforced as follows
Have the patient placed ia one OF the
upper rooms of the house, the turthest
removed from the rest of the family
where is 10 be bad the best ventilation
instantly cleared of all curtains, car
pets, woollen goods and ali unnecessary
furniture. Keep the room constantly
well ventilated by means of open win
dows, and fires il necessary. Maintain
The utmost cleanliness both with regard
to the patient and in the room A ba-
sin charged with chloride or carbolatc
OF 4ime or some other convenient d.sin-
fecl@nt should be kept constantly on
the bed tor The patient 10 spit in
Change the clothing OF the patleu, as
often as ueedlul, but do not carry II
while dry through the house. A large
vessel Ga tub} containing wafer impreg
mated with solution OF carDo;ic ACID
in the proportion OF four luid ounces
(Calvert's No. 4 or No s. 10 the 81
lon of water should always stand III tbs
| room for the reception of ali bed an.
body linen Immediately on remova!
from the person or contact with the pa
tient. Observation-Disclosures should
not be used. but small pieces of rag
should be employed lnstrad for wipi..f
the gs0uth and nose, and each p!cc.
after being once used should be in
mediately burned. Two basins. oi.s
containing water imprcgna.eti with a
solution OF carboiic acid or peImanga
nate of pot&ssa and the other contain
ing plain water aud good supply OF
towels, must always be ready and con
hat ,11 ka, IL g 81,
may be al once washed after they have
been soiled by contact wi h the patient.
All glasses, cups and other vessels use!
by or about the patient should be scru-
pulously cleaned before being used by
others. This discharges from the bow
els and kidneys are TO be re Ceived, on
their very issue from the body, into
vessels containing some aisnfectant. as
a solution Of Two pounds of sulphate of
iron in gallon OF water, or four fluid
ounces of carbolic acid (Caivert's No.
s. TO a gallon of water. and in,medi-
ately removed. No person should DC
allowed TO enter the room except those
who are attending upon The sick. Boil
ing is one of the surest ways of dlsin-
tecting all contaminated clothing. A
solution of carboiic ac,d should first be
added to the water. Any material
which cannot be washed without inju-
ry should be exposed to dry heat. OF
about 40 deg. Fair, or fumiga,ed IN
close chamber, as directed below
4 hot cir disinfeciing chamber has
been provided on the hospital grounds,
where beds, WOODEN goods, ETC., may
be disinfected under the direction Of
officers appointed by the board. All
articles which can e spared should be
destroyed by fire. When persons have
had the diph;heria, whether they get
well or die, the room when they have
occupied should be thoroughly cleaned
and d.sinfec,ed. The furniture should
be washed with strong solution of
chloraium { or 4 ounces to the gallon
OF water), or preferably, with carbolic
acid soap. Afterwards, the floor and
woodwork should be washed with car.
boiic acid soap or with chloride of lime
and water, and the paper should be re-
moved, by mulstenlng with chloralum
or carboiic acid solution. Then, after
closing the doors, windows and all otn-