The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1884-03-12
DIPRTHERIA.
some Interesting Facts in Regard to This
Disease and Series of Rules That
Will Prevent It's Spread.

II Will Prevent Its Spread.
This dread disease has not made its
appearance in Fort Benton, nor has it
ever been known to exist here, but as
many of our Eeighboring towns and
valleys are afflicted with it, it is we'll
for us to be on our guard and know the
consequences, and the steps it is best to
take, If our community should be SO
unfortunate as to have visitation from
this evil genius of the little folks-diph-
liberia.
In conversation with one of our ply
sicians yesterday we were informed that
diphtheria is disease of antiquity, dat
ing back at least as far as the commence
ment of the Christian era. 1t is pre-
eminently d disease Of childhood, a
large majority of the cases occurring
between the ages of two and ten years.
Under the age of one gear the younger
the child the less the liability to it, and
it rarely occurs prior to the fourth
month. Though not universally known,
diphtheria is contagious disease, and
during the prevalence of an epidemic
every effort should be made to prevent
it's spread. Diphtheritic virus, like that
OF scarlet fever, may remain for weeks
or months in a locality or apartment,
and the greatest care and precautions
are necessary to entirely stamp it out.
Food, tonics and stimulants, with pro-
per local treatment, are the only
medicines given, with effect, the object
of the treatment being simply to main
tain Or build up the system until the
disease wears itself out.
The following are the regulations
which have been adopted by
the board of health of New York
and other cities of the Union, and
which, if strictly followed, will confne
the disease and prevent a spread of the
epidemic. These rules should be cut
out and preserved in every family in the
city:
The patient should be placed in a
separate room, and no person except the
physician, nurse or mother allowed to
enter the room or touch the bedding or
clothing used in the sick room, until
they have been thoroughly disinfected.
All clothing, bedding or other articles
not absolutely necessary for use of the
patient should be removed from the sick
room.
Articles used about the patient,
such as sheets, pillowcases. blankets, or
clothes, must not be removed from the
sick room until they have been disin-
fected by placing them in tub with the
following disinfecting fluid: Eight
ounces of sulphate zinc. one ounce car
bolic acid, three gallons of water. They
should be soaked in this fluid for at least
one hour, and then placed in boiling
water for washing.
A piece of muslin one foot square
should be dipped in the same solution
and suspended in the sick room con-
and the same should be done in
the hallway adjoining the sick room.
All vessels used for receiving discharges
of patients should have some of the
same disinfecting fluid constantly there
in, and Immediately after use by the
patient be empuied and cleansed with
boiling water. Water closets and priyies
should be disinfected daily with te
same fluid, or solution of chloride iron,
one pound to gallon of water, adding
one or two ounces of carbolic acid All
straw beds should be burned, and the
same done with soft rags or handker-
chiefs used about the patient for cleans
ing the mouth Or nostrils.
The ceilings and side walls of the
sick room, after removal Of the patient,
should be thoroughly cleaned and lime
washed, and the wood work and floor
we'll scrubbed with soap and water.
Put teaspoonful of q mixture of
equal parts of turpentine and carbolc
acid into kettle of water, which should
be kept simmering over a slow fire, so
that the air of the sick-room will be i'm
with the vapour of the two