River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-11-09

A pamphlet upon diphtheria pub.
lished by the State Board of Health
contains the following timely sugges
tions:
Diphtheria is a contagious and in
fictitious disease of great severity and
frequent fatality. In view of THESE
facts. the State Board of Health urges
upon the citizens of Wisconsin the ex-
ercise of such precautions as expert
rnce has proven to be effectual III IT'S
restriction and prevention, and to this
md calls attention To the following
facts and suggestions:
1t is of the first Importance that an
outbreak of the disease should be the
signal for the immediate observance
of those precautions which are known
10 be most effectual in the restriction
of any contagious disease, and in this
respect the treatment should be as Wig
orous as in case of smallpox or scar
let fever, the one rule of most impera-
tive necessity being the isolation of
The patient. Immediately upon the
appearances of the disease, the patient
should be removed to a room as remote
This room should be prepared for his
reception by removing from it all sll
prrhuous furniture, especially such as
wooden ca pets, extra clothing, books,
md all window curtains. table spreads
and other similar articles which can
not be subsequently cleansed by boil
ing. The room should be large and
sunny, and it is better if it be in the
upper part of the house. Particular
Gaze should be taken to have it ventil-
,ted as thoroughly as possible, while
the patient is protected from any di.
rect drauglts, in order to dilute the
poisoned atmosphere to the utmost
extent. This will be facilitated and
he care of the patient rendered east
el, if it be practicable to place the bed
so as to make it accessible from all
ides.
No one should be admitted to the
sick room except the necessary attend
ants, whose ga ments should be made
Of such material as will admit of being
cleansed by boiling. No food which
has been in the sick room should be-.
partaken of by the well; even the dish
rs when have contained such food
should be cleansed by themselves
Under no circumstances should the
PATIENTS soileG bed or body linen be
mixed with other soiled clothing, or be
admitted to the general wash; it
should be at once cleansed by boiling
water. For the cleansing of the nosr
and mouth from the discharges which
IRE sometimes copIons and always dan
gerous, bits of linen or cotton cloth. on
pieces of soft paper should be used and
Immediately burned. Discharges from
the bowels and bladder, which are also
sources of danger, should be received
in vessels containing disinfecting tiu
ids, and as soon as possible removed
from the room and buried. If receiv-
ed on cloths, these should be burned.
In case of death the funeral should
he conducted with little publicity AMI
without exposure of the body. which
should early be placed in tight coffin
with disinfeetants. In no Case should
children be permitted to attend such
funerals. The neglect of these pre-
cautions is known to have been the
cause of the death of many persons, in
this State and elsewhere.
Rooms from which patients who
have had Diphtheria have been remoy-
I'd should be thoroughly disinfected
Ivy fumigation, and if there has been
any special malignancy of the disease,
all paper hangings should be removed
from walls covered Herewith, all 9th
er walls and all ceilings should be
freshly whiiewashed, and the wood-
work and floors be thoroughly scrub
bed. Sulphurous acid gas, or the fumes
of burning sulphur, is an efficient. con-
venipnt and inexpensive disinfectant.
Two pounds of sulphur will suffice for
room twelve feet square and ten feet
high. It needs but 10 be burned in
the room by putting it, in powder or
small fragments, on live Goals. in a
safe vessel; all doors, windows, and
other apertures should be tightly clos
ed during the burning of the sulphur,
and for several hours afterward, and
the room should then receive free and
prel ng.d ventilation.
Finally while isolation aud silsantee.
tiou siIoua BE- Through and persistent