The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-05-19

DPHTHERIA.
The Dreaded Soourre Of Child
hood in Butte, But Not
Yet Epidemic.

Precautionary Measures to Pre-
vent q Spreading Of tho
Disease.
Suggestions as to the Treatment
of the Sick.
Inquiry among the physicians yes
terday elected the information that
although more than q dozen cases of
diphtheria have been reported,
only four of the malignant
type have been developed, in addi-
ton to those o! the two daughters Of
D. Cohen ST., both of which have re-
suited fatally. Katie Dolan, residing
in Dublin Gulch, twelve years OF age,
one of the first cases developed, is
under treatment by Drs. Bacon and
Bishop. DR.. Holmes has charge Of
two cases, a little boy on lower Mon
tana street, and Mr. Cohen's little son
Oswald, four years of age, who is
being treated ON upper Main street.
A little daughter of Samuel Lewis,
on West Quartz street, is being treated
by DR.. johnson. The physicians in
attendance pronounce all these cases
to be doing we'll, and seem to agree
in their opinion that the disease is
sporadic and not carried in the air,
but infectious only by, contact with
the excretia, or virus from the mouth
and throat. This being the case the
disease may be stopped where it is,
providing citizens and the city au-
thorities do their plain duty in e
moving from streets, alleys and pri-
vate premises, all accumulations, in
which the germs of the disease may
be harbored or terminated.
In order to inform the
public OF the best means of
checking the spread of the disease,
and to provide them with rules for
its treatment, we publish the follow
ing report of the Board of Health at
Philadelphia, which was adopted
and published for the information Of
the public in that city:
CHARACTER OF THE DISEASE.
"Recent investigations having
proved that the poison of diphtheria
is portable, communicable by infec-
ton and capable of reproducing itself
outside of the human body" says
the committee, "diphtheria must
now be ranked as both a contagious
and infectious disease" The follow
ing rules are therefore more impera-
tive than ever before:
ISOLATION OF THE PATIENT.
"When a child or young person
has a sore throat, a bad odor to the
breath, and especially if it has fever,
it should Immediately be separated
and kept secluded from all other per-
Sons except necessary attendants un-
til it be ascertained or not if it has
diphtheria or some other communi-
cable disease.
Every person known to be sick
with diphtheria should be properly
and effectually isolated from the
public. Only those persons who are
actually necessary should have
charge or visit the patient, and these
visitors should be restricted in their
intercourse with other individuals.
Children residing in a house where
there is a case of diphtheria should
not be permitted to attend school.
CARE OF THE SICK.
"When a case of d%iphtheria is fully
regard to free ventilation, disposal
and ~disinfection of discharges, bed or
body linen and so forth, isolation
during convalescence Tor manage
ment of the corpse should death un-
fortunately occur ought to be en-
forced as follows: Have the patient
placed in one of the upper rooms of
the house, the furthest removed from
the rest of the family, where is to be
had the best ventilation and isOla-
ton. The room should be instantly
cleared Of all curtains, carpets, WOOL
en- goods, and all unnecessary furni-
ture. Keep the room constantly well
ventilated by means of open windows
and fires if necessary. Maintain the
utmost cleanliness, both with regard
to the patient and in the room. A
basin charged with carbonate or
chloride of lime or some other con-
venient disinfectant should be kept
constantly on the bed for the patient
to spit in. Change the clothing of
the patient as often as needful, but do
not carry it while dry through the
house. A large vessel "a tnb)
containing water impregnsted with a
solution Of carbolic acid in the pro-
portion of four haid ounces (Calvert's
No. 4 or Nc. s. to the gallon of water,
should always stand in the o for
the reception Of all bed and body
linen Immediately on removal from
the person or contact with the pa
tient. Pocket handkercniefs should
not be used, but small pieces of rags
should be employed instead for wip-
ing the mouth and nose, and each
piece, after being once used, should
be Immediately burned. Two basins,
one containing water impregnated
with a solution of carbolic acid or
permanganate of potassa and the
other containing plain water, and a
good supply of towels, must always
be ready and convenient, so that the
hands Of the nurse may be at once
washed after th.y have been soiled
by contact with the patient. All
glasses, cups and vessels used by or
about the patient should be scrupu-
lousy cleansed before being used by
others. The discharges from the
bowels and kidneys are to be re-
ceived, on their very issue from the
BODY, into vessels containing
some disinfectant, as a solution of
two pounds of sulphate Of iron in a
gallon of water, OF four fluid ounces
of carbolic acid (Calvert's No. s. to a
gallon of water, and Immediately re-
moved. No persons should be allowed
to enter the sick room except those
attendant:upon the sick. Boiling is
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