The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-01-10
nIPHTHERIA.
How to Avoid il ana How to Restrict it.


How to Avoid il and How to Restrict it.
From the Philadelphia Ledger.
While diphtheria is not sufficiently prevalent |
10 cause alarm, yet suggestions for its resslrc-
ton and prevention will not be; at TINS season
of the wear. untimely. The following state |
ments and recommendations are taken from
a circular issued from an authoritative source
Diphtheria is a contagious disase, hence the
strict observance of the following precautions
is of very great Importance: When child or
vouno person has sore throat bad odor to
its breath. and especially if it has fever, it
should Immediately be kept separated from
all other persons, except necessary attend
ants, until It be ascertained whether or not 1t
has diphtheria or some other communicable
disease.
Every person known to be sick with diph
liberia should be promptly and effectually iso-
lated from the public; no more persons than
are actually necessary should have charge OF
or visit the patient, and they should be re-
stricted in their intercourse with other per-
sons
The room into which one sick with diph-
liberia is placed should previously be cleared
of all needless clothing, carpets, drapery and
other materials likely to harbor the poison OF
the disease. This room should constantly re-
ceive liberal supply Of. fresh or without
currents or drafts directly upon the patient.
It will be well also to have the sunshine d.
reetly into the room.
The discharges from the throat, nose and
mouth are extremely liable to communicate
the disease, and should be received in vessels
containing a strong solution Of copperas lsul-
phate of iron), or on soft rags or pieces OF
cloth. which should Immediately be burned.
The discharges from the kidneys and bowels
are also dangerous, and should be passed into
vessels containing a strong solution of sui
plate of iron (copperas), and then be buried
at least one hundred feet distant from any
we'll; or, when this is impracticable, they
should be passed on old cloths, which should
Immediately be burned. Sulphate of iron
dissolved in water in the proportion of one
and a-half pounds of the sulphate to one gal
lon of water, is a good solution for chamber
vessels, water closets, &c. When much IS
wanted it may be prepared by hanging a
basket containing sixty pounds OF copperas N
a barrel of water.
The clothing, towels, bed linen, &C., on
removal from the patient, should at once,
before removal from the room, be placed in
a pail or tub of hot boiling zinc solution, made
in proportion as follows: Water, one gallon;
sulphate of zinc, four ounces; common salt,
two ounces.
to keep themselves and their patient as clean
as possible; their own hands should frequently
be washed and disinfected by chlorinated
soda.
All persons recovering from diphtheria
should be considered dangerous; therefore,
such a person should not be permitted to as
sociate with others, or to attend school,
church or any other public assembly until the
throat and any sores which may have been on
the lips or nose are healed, nor until in the
Judgment of careful and intelligent health
officer he can do so without endangering 9TH
ers; nor until after all his clothing has been
thoroughly disinfected, and this without re-
gard to the time which has elapsed since re-
coyery, if the time is less than one year. Nor
should a person from premises in which there
is or has been a case of diphtherla attend any
school, Sunday school, church or public as
sembly or be permitted by the health author
tiles or by the school board to do so, until
after disnfection of such premises and OF the
clothing worn by such person if it shall have
been exposed to the contagion of the disease.
The body of person who has died of diph-
liberia should be washed with zinc solution
of double the strength stated above, then
wrapped in sheet wet with the zinc solution,
and at once be buried. In no case should the
body be exposed to view.
mo pubic IukSI1l SuOuiu D6 uclO db q nOuoC
in which there is a case of diphtheria, nor in
which q death from diphtheria has recently
occurred. Except under extraordinary pre-
cautions there should be no public funeral of
q person who has died from diphtheria. No
child should attend, and it would be better in
most cases that few adults should attend, a
funeral of person dead of diphtheria.
METHOD OF pIsENFEcrIoN.
After death or recovery from diphthera.
the room in which there has been a case of
diphtheria, whether fatal or not, should, with
all its contents, be thoroughly disinfected by
exposure for several hours to strong fumes of
burning sulphur, and then. if possible, it
should for several hours or days be exposed
to currents of fresh air.
Because of the innumerable ways in which
the contagion may be scattered about the
house and premises where there has been a
case of diphtheria the entire house and out
buildings, including cellar, garnet, wood shed
and privy, will usually need to be disinfected.
Rooms to be disinfected must be vacated.
Heavy clothing, blankets, bedding and other
articles, which cannot be treated with the
zinc solution, should be spread out so as to be
thoroughly exposed during fumigation, which
should take place in the room where the cloth
ing, etc., has been used in connection with
the patient For room about ten feet
square, at least two pounds of sulphur should
be used; for larger rooms, proportionately
increased quantities, at the rate of two pounds
for each 1000 cubic feet of airspace.
Close all openings to thu room, place the
sulphur in an iron pan, supported upon bricks,
set it on fire by hot Goals or with the aid of a
spoonful Of alcohol lighted by a match; be
careful not to breathe the fumes of the burn
ing sulphur, and. when certain the sulphur is
burning well, leave the room, close the door,
and allow the room to be closed for several
hours.
Care should be taken to secure the COM
plete burning of as much of the sulphur as is
possible. For this purpose the iron pan OF
pot in which the sulphur is to be placed may
previously be heated, and may be placed in
the room over hot Goals In a pan of ashes set
upon bricks.
Cellars, yards, stables, cutters, prigies,
cesspools, water closets, drains, sewers, etc.,
should be frequently and literally treated
with copperas solution, made as described
above.
It is best to burn all articles which have
been in contact with persons sick with con-
tagious or infectious diseases. Articles to be
burned should be thoroughly and quickly
burned, so as not to diffuse the poison. In
the glowing furnace under a large engine
boiler is good place. If the burning is done
IN the open AIR IL SnOula ne lar from uWell-
ings and by quick strong Gre. Articles toe
valuable to be destroyed should be exposed
for one hour to a dry heat of from 240 deg +.
to $50 deg. F., or be treated as follows:
Cotton, linen, fannels, etc., should be
treated With the boiling hot zinc solution, in.
Producing them piece by piece, securing
thorough wetting and boiling for at least hall
an hour. Heavy wooden clothing, silks, furs,
stuffed bedcovers, beds and other articles
which cannot be treated with the zinc solu-
ton, should be hung in the room during fu-
migation, pockets being turned inside-out
and the whole garment being thoroughly ex-
posed. Afterward they should be hung in the
open air, beaten and shaken. Carpets are
best fumigated on the floor, but should after
ward be removed to the open air and thor
ouehly beaten. Pillows, beds, stuffed mat
tresses, upholstered furniture, ETC., after being
disinfected on the outside, may be cut open
and their contents again exposed to fumes Of
burning sulphur In no case should the
thorough disinfection of clothing, bedding,
etc. be omitted. Infected clothing and bed
ding have been known to communicate diph-
liberia months after their infection.
The methods of disinfection above set out
apply to other contagious diseases.
Disinfection of a room always Becessitates
vacating it, and sometimes makes Il impos-
sible to remain in adjoining rooms, therefore,
in some cases, it seems essential to have hos
4 Ii r. IL