The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-11-27
Diphtheria and its Causes.

DIR. G. W. Chancellor, secretary of the
State Board of Health, furnishes the fol-
lowing valuable information on the subject
of diphtheria, which, if profted by, may
serve to prevent an outbreak Of the disease
or check its spread where it already exists:
l. Facts an Connection toith Diph-
Meria.-The real nature of diptheria is
undetermined, and physicians thus far have
been unable to agree upon any settled plan
of treatment. Where hygienic conditions
are bad the disease will spread from sin
gle case and become endemic CONFINED to
a circumscribed locality or epidemic (pre
vailing generally in a community The
malady differs in intensity from the mildest
form. which resembles simple sore throat,
to the worst type of blood poisoning, which
is intractable from the beginning.
2. HoU the Disease as Communicated
Diphtheria is communicable in all its forms,
either by contagion or through the medium
of an infected atmosphere, and when it has
once broken out in house it is liable to
spread through the air of apartments, es-
pecially in overcrowded and badly venti-
lated habitations. 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 ignorantly among children. All
diphtheria patients and persons in contact
with them should be considered dangerous,
and should not associate with Others until
it is decided by careful and intelligent
physician that they can do so without en-
dangering others. This applies especially
to children attending public schools,
churches, or assemblies of any kind.
3. Active Measures Of Prevention.-
These consist, e. in avoiding the special
contagion; O. in avoiding all crowded as
semblies in illyventilated rooms during the
prevalence of the disease; @, in maintain
ing thorough cleanliness of persos and
promises; a. in the SMACK l5zer''e reS on,
,-eaafahIe and animal refuse psattse re
in Keeping cellars clean and dry; a. IN iree
and through ventilation OF dwellings,. e
pecially sleeping apartments; {! y IN oolhng
and altering drinking water when there is
arv suspicion as to its purity; 80 IN the
free use of disinfectants in all places where
foul odors may possibly arise.
4 Restrictive MeaSures.-Ihe TSSsric-
.;ve measures recommended\de; W
,,,.on,nt isolation of the sick from the Wel'
y restriction of nurses in their l9IsI'ou. a
with outside persons; kes siaas;n ne SIN non
room clear Of all >I ES'I 70 ' barboT, the the
pets, sle disease; a, liberal supply
P eef4ssE in the sickroom, taking care to
% I'D direct drafts; o. burning or thor
au o1y disinfecting and burying, remote
eu1 the house and source of drinking wa
all discharges from the throat, nose,
,1outh, kidneys and bowels; Co. placing
soiled bed and body linen in boiling water
at once, or in water containing little
chloride Of lime, soda or zinc; Cd disin-
fecting the room in which any case or
cases of diphtheria have occurred, with all
the contents, by exposure for several hours
to strong fumes of chlorine gas or burning
sulphur, and subsequently to currents of
fresh air; (S,) no public funeral should be
held in house in which death from
diphtheria has recently occurred, nor in a
church or other place where the body of
dlDlLnerld pdUleuI llCS uSdu, NV,J IhS pouiSS
of those who have died of diphtheria should
be securely wrapped in disinfected cere-
sheet saturated in solution of
chloride of zinc, half pound of the salt to
a gallon of water.
5. Prophylatic Measures. = The best
measures are: ID wash the
mouth and gargle the throat morning and
night in weak solution of Labarraque's
solution of chlorinated soda, two teaspoon
fuls to an ordinary glass of water; Cd
steam well the room in which the disease
exists and the Railways leading to it with
the vapor of boiling water, to which spirits
of turpentine has been added in the pro-
portion of one pint of the latter to five
hints of water.
,o5S, Legal ,Sateguards.-In addition to
the zssSe the Statutes of Maryland con-
tain regulations which should be enforced.
Among them is the act passed by the
General Assembly at the January session
Of 1882, chapter 1855, entitled can act to
provide against the spread of infectious
diseases" which confers abundant power
upon health officers, justices of the peace
and municipal and county authorities to
restrict or suppress the introduction and
spread of infections or contagious diseases,
If the effort to do so is made at once