Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1886-12-03
Misfellanenms.
Diphtheria-Its Causes, Prevention
and Cure.

and Cure.
From the able report of Dr. G. W.
Chancellor, Secretary of the State Board
Of Health, we extract the following in
tsresting data in reference to diphtheria,
which every citizen should carefully Pc
ruse and observe.
l Facts az Connection NTH Diph.
Meria-The real nature of diphtheria is
undetermined, and physicians thus far
have been unable to agree upon any set
tied plan of treatment. Where hygienic
conditions are bad the disease will spread
from a single case and become endemic
CONFINED to circumscribed locality or
epidemic prevailing generally in a com
munity.) The malady differs in inten-
sity from the mildest form, which re-
sembles simple sore throat, to the worst
type Of poisoning, which is instruct
able from the beginning
2. Hon tho Disease is Communicated
Diphtheria is communicated in all its
forms, either by contagion or through
the medium of an infected atmosphere,
and when it has once broken out in a
house it is liable to spread through the
air of apartments, especially in over
crowded aud badly-vcntilated habita-
tions. Children are much more liable
to the disease than adults, and are more
subject to its violent forms. Adults may
have it SO lightly as not to be aware of
its existence, and thus they may dissem-
mate it iguorantly among children All
dipbthoria patients and persons in con.
tact with them should DO considered dan
gerous, and should not associate with
others until it is decided by careful
and intelligent physician that they can
do so without endangering others. This
applies especially to children attending
public schools, churches, or assemblies
of any kind.
3. Active Measures Of Prevention. -
These consist q } in avoiding the spe-
cial contagion; CD in avoiding all
crowded assemblies in lily ventilated
rooms during tho providence of the dis
ease; CD in maintaining thorough
cleanliness Of person and premises; a, }
in the speedy removal Of all vegetable
and animal refuse matters; g, } in keep
ing cellars clean and dry; co. in free
and thorough ventilation of dwellings,
especially sleeping apartments; q, } in
boiling and filtering drinking water when
there is any suspicion as to its purity !;
(8,) in the free use Of disinfectants in
all places where foul odors may possibly
arise.
Restrictive Measures. restrictive
measures recommended are q, prompt
isolation Of sick from we'll; G., restric-
ton of nurses in their intercourse with
outside persons; 90 keeping the sick
room clear Of all needless clothing, car
pets, drapery, &C., likely to harbor the
poison Of tho disease; q, } liberal sup
ply of fresh air in the sick room taking
care to avoid direct draughts; (5) burning
or thoroughly disinfecting and burying
remote from the house and source Of
drinding water, all discharges from the
throat, nose, mouth, kidneys and bowels;
CO. placing soiled bed and body linen
in boiling water at once, or water con-
tanning little chloride of lime, soda or
zinc; Cd disinfecting the room in which
any case or cases of diphtheria have oc-
CURED, with all the contents, by expos
ure for several hours to strong fumes of
chlorine gas or burning sulphur, and
subsequently to currents Of fresh dir !;
(8,) no public funeral should be held 10
house in which death from diphtheria
has recently occurred, nor in a church
or other place where the body of diph-
iberia patient lies dead; 60, } the bodies
of those who have died of diphtheria
should be securely wrapped in disin-
fectcd cloth--a sheet saturated in a solu-
ton Of chloride Of zinc, half pound of
the salt TO gallon Of water.
5. Prophytactic Measures. The best
prophy lactic measures are +. a. wash
the the mouth and gargle the throat
morning and night in a weak solution
Of Labariaque's solution Of chlorinated
soda, two teaspoonfuls to an ordinary
glass Of water; q, steam well the room
IN which the disease exists and the hall
ways leading to it with the vapor Of boil
ing water, TO which spirits of turpentine
has been added in the proportion of one
pint of the latter to five pints OF water
6. Legal Safeguards. In addition to
the above, the statutes of Maryland con-
tain regulations which should be en-
forced. Among them is the act passed
by the General Assembly at tho Janua-
ry session of 1882, chapter 1855, entitled
IAN Act to provide against the spread
Of infectious Diseases" which confers
abundant power upon the health officers,
Justices Of the peace and municipal and
county authorities TO restrict or suppress
the introduction and spread of infectious
or contagious diseases, il the effort to do
so is made at once.