San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-02-02
SMALL POX.
HAN 10 Prevent tho Spread Of the isssse.-Dire'
,Iou. OF the Illinois State Board Of Health.

oertain. experience has taught that the
s,r;ct observance OF the following rules
ill prevent the spread Of small pox:
Whenever il is known that any per-
son is sick with small pox or varioloid,
Isolation of the individual should be
Escorted TO at once, and every one in
tha bouse or neighborhood vaccinated
or re-. yaccinated, no matter how mild
The disease may appear. The room SO.
Iacted for the sick should be large, cas-.
;Iy ventilated, and as far from the living
and sleeping rooms of other members
Of the family us it is possible to have it.
All ornaments, carpets, drapery aud ar
ticles not absolutely needed in the room
should be removed. A free circulation
Of air from without should be admitted
Inv day and night. for there is no better
d;sinfectant than pure air, Care should
he taken to keep the patient out OF
draughts. All discharges from the nose
and mouth should be received on rags
and Immediately burned, and the same
nrecaution should be taken with the
crusts as they fall off. Vessels should
be partially filled with solution of
carbolic acid, one part to twenty parts
of water, or chloride of zinc, one part
TO fifty parts of water, to receive the
discharges from the kidneys and bow
els. which should be buried at least 100
feet from the we'll or spring.
All spoons. dishes, etc, used in the
sick-room should be placed in boiling
water before being used by well per-
in q M
the utmost Importance. But one or
two persons should be employed in the
sick.room, and their intercourse with
other members of the family and the
public restricted as much as possible.
In the event that it becomes necessary
for al attendant to go out of the sick.
room, change of clothing should be
made, using such as has not been in
fected the hands, face and hair should
be washed in water disinfected by car
bolic acid, one part to forty parts OF
water, or permanganate of potassium,
one part to four hundred parts of water;
following this, free exposure to open
air should be made before approaching
any one.
Physicians and nurses should take
off overcoats or cloaks before entering
the sick room, and they should not put
on clothing of any kind there, as they
may thus carry away and distribute the
disease. Safety consists in exposing to
the open air every article of clothing
that has been in any way exposed to
contagion. No inmates of the house,
during the continuance of the disease,
should venture into any public assem-
blage or crowded building, such as a
church or school, nor after it's termina-
ton until permission is given by the
attending physician. Dogs or cats
should not be permitted to enter the
room of the patient, OF, better still, not
allowed in the house. Letters should
not be sent directly from the patient,
and all mail matter sent from the house
should be subjected to a heat Of at least
$500 Fahrenheit.
After recovery has taken place, the
patient should be bathed in weak dis
infectant (solution of chloride of zinc
one part to 800 parts of water), clothed
in clean, fresh garments, that have been
in no way exposed to the infected air,
and the head shampooed. Some time
must elapse, ten to fourteen days &C
cording to the severity of the case, be-
fore the danger of communicating the
disease is past.
In the event of death, the clothing in
which the body is attired should be
sprinkled with strong carbolic acid, and
the body placed in an air-tight coffin,
and it should remain in the sick.rOOm
until taken away for burial.
A funeral should not be allowed at
the house or church, and no more per-
sons permitted to 60 to the cemetery
than is necessary to inter the corpse.
After recovery or death, all articles
worn by the patient, the room, and all
the contents, should be thoroughly dis
infected by the burning of sulphur or
the pouring of crude carbolic acid on
chloride of lime.
To do this, have all windows, fues,
key-holes and other openings closed
and place on the hearth or stove, or on
bricks on the floor, an iron vessel, con-
tanning live Goals. upon which throw
three or four pounds of sulphur; or
place number of plates of chloride OF
lime in different parts of the room, and
pour on them crude carbolic acid. The
room should be kept closed for twelve
hours.
1t will do no harm to repeat the FUN
igation.
After this, the floor and woodwork
should be washed with hot water, and
walls and ceilings whitewashed, or, If
papered, the paper should be removed.
Such articles as can be washed, as
bedding, clothing, ETC., should be
dipped in the following disinfecting
fluid:
Sulphate of zinc, 20 o.; carbolic
acid, 3 o.. water, 6 gallons.
Increase the quantity in the same
prODortion ~ necossarv