Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-12-08
DIPHTHERIA AND SCARLATINA.

te,sce Of This Glass Of Zynsotic Diseases
What Should be Done Under TdriOMx CIR
eunlstances after the Sickness Makes It's
Appearance-Hi,ats That ,slShould be Kent
for Reference.
Diphtheria and scarlatina are SO preya-
lent just now, with probability of in
creasing, that too much light on their ma
ture and proper treatment cannot be had.
Diphtheria is contagious and infectious.
The contagion is contained in the false
membrane and shreds of tissues detached
from the fauces, and in the air breathed
| out by the patient. The disease almost
always begins with apparently insignificant
the general health is disturbed a few DAYS
before the disease breaks out; the appetite
is less; the patient complains of dullness.
depression and chiiiiness. More rarely the
disease begins with a severe chill, accom-
panied by nausea and vomiting. At the
same time the patient complains Of diff
Guilty Of swallowing, but in most cases this
is no greater than is usual in simple catarrh
Ii the fauces be not yet covered with false
membrane. but only somewhat Redeemed
and swollen, at this stage we can only sus-
pect or recognize the disease when we know
that diphtheria is epidemic, or that per-
sons about the patient have, or have had.
the disease. very suspicious and usually
very early symptom, is hard swelling
of the glands at the angle of the jaw in
the neck. Not inf equently the persons
about the patient have their attention first
called to the disease by swelling of these
glands, the complaints of slight difficulty
of swallowing having passed unnoticed.
1S fQ - =
extensive grayish white patches in the fau-
ces at the first examination than to have
the opportunity of examining the throat
at the commencement of diphtheria, before
the formation of false membranes has
begun.
If the disease has begun violently. its
subsequent course is usually more severe
In many cases the putrefaction of the false
membrane causes penetrating foul breath.
1t the nasal mucous membrane partici-
pate in the disease, a discolored, fetid fluid,
flows from the nostrils. The swelling of
the glands in the neck becomes more
marked; the glands are hard, but have no
tendency to suppurate. Even, after a few
days, death may occur from general paraly-
sis, while the intellect remains clear. Some
patients, whose state had not excited anv
v1ously was very satisfactory even, die IN
expectedly with the symptoms of general
collapse. Even when the disease apparent
ly ends in recovery, it is often followed by
paralysis. Diphtheritic paralysis comes
on from two to four weeks after the disease
disappears. When the soft palate is para
lyzed, the patients have nasal voice; on
attempting to swallow fluids. they enter
Of no
near the seat of diphtheritic Inflammation
is most frequently accompanied by that
of the muscles Of the eyes, and the patients
begin to squirt. The extremities also.
especially the feet, are occasionally at
tackled by more or less complete paralysis.
The following are the most valuable of the
rules to be observed in its treatment:
All practical means should be taken to
separate the sick from the well.
Woolens, carpets and upholstered furni-
ture should not be used in the sick room.
but only such articles as can be washed
readily.
All clothes, when removed from the per-
son or bed of the patient, should be imme-
diately placed in boiling water.
Pieces of soft linen or cotton cloth should
be used instead of pocket handkerchiefs
and at once burned.
Disinfeotants should always be placed in
the vessels containing the discharges from
the throat, nose, kidneys and bowels. mi
trate of lead and chloride of zinc are good.)
Pure air is the best of disinfectants, and
should be supplied by free ventilation, but
care must be taken not to expose patients
to the cold.
Choose room for the sick, that has no
connection with the sewers, by water clos
cts or wash basin. The highest room in
ahe house, other things being equal, is tho
best.
Fully as great care should be taken in
disinfecting the sick room, after use, at in
scarlet fever or smallpox.
After death the clothing disused
should be burned or put in boiling water;
the body should be placed as early as prac-
ticable in the coffin, with disinfectants, the
coffin tightly closed; and the funeral must
not be held in church or other pu bic
place. No one allowed to ride in the
same vehicle with the remains to the GEM
eterY.
Children at least, and better adults also
in most cases, should not attend funeral
from house in which death from d1ph-
liberia has occurred. In no case must the
corpse be exposed at the funeral.
Diphtheria, like yellow fever, typhoid
fever, and several other diseases, rarely, if
ever, becomes epidemic, except in the
midst of filth.
All houses are disinfected by the health
officer at the public expense.
The children in community are in
most danger from scarlatina, which is an
infectious disease of varying degrees of Sc
verify, but in which all the forms are capa-
BILE of conveying the severest type. A per-
son may become i'll with fatal scarlet fe-
YER from associating with another who had
80 mild an attack of the disease as not to
keep him in the house, much less in bed
The disease is conveyed from one person
to another by exhalations from the skin
and from excretions. Upon whatever the
contagious matter depends for its danger
GUS character it is capable of retaining its
power to carry the disease long time
certainly many months, and possibly for
year or more-unless destroyed. Air, food,
clothing, sheets, whiskers, hair, etc., all are
means of communication, as also the exha-
lations from the dead body. The average
time from exposure until the disease man
ifests itself is from six to ten days; but it
may be as short as from several hours to
three or four weeks. The same rule in re-
gard to clothing, furniture, ETC., and to the
burning of cloths on which discharges from