The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-11-20
SCARLET FEVER.

SCARLET FEVER.
Scarlet fever, also called scarlatina, scar.
let rash, canker rash, etc, is q dangerous
contagious disease of farmore Importance
in our State, owing to its frequency, than
either smallpox or cholera.
The contagium or poison of scarlet fever
surpasses that of any other eruptive fever,
except smallpox in its tenacious attach
ment to objects and in portability to dis
tant localities.
The poison may retain its injecting prop
critics for months unless destroyed by
proper disinfection.
1t usually attacks children under ten
years of age, hence the great Importance
of preventing children from being expo Sed
to the disease. The latest evidence indi-
Gates that scarlet fever never origin
ates from any telluric or atmospheric
influence, but is always duo to specific
principle or contagium. In other words
scarlet fever can only occur by infection
from pre-existing case of the same dis
ease. Countries have been free from it for
centuries till imported by commerce In
view of this fact, the great Importance of
isolation, quarantine and disinfection in
preventing the spread of the disease is
beyond question. From want of proper
precautions in this respect, it not infre-
quently happens that scarlet fever will
attack successivelysa large family of chill
dren. 1t is believed that by the strict OBJ
servance of the following rules and regula-
lions this disease may be greatly restricted
in our State:
l. When a child has sore throat and
fever, and especially when scarlet fever is
present in the neighborhood, it should i'm
mediately be separated from others until a
physician has seen it, and determined
whether it has scarlet fever
q When person is known to be sick
with this disease, no matter how light the
attack may appear to be, he should imme-
diately be separated from all others ex-
cepting his attendants, and removed to a
room specially prepared for his occupancy
3. This room should be prepared by
removing from it all superluous fur
niture, carpets, extra clothing, books,
ETC.; in short, every thing not absolutely
needed for the comfort of the sick, or the
convenience of the attendants. All closets
connected with the room should have
every thing removed from them
4. The room should be large, preferably
in the upper story, and as far removed
from the family rooms as possible.
.. The best means for disinfecting a sick
room is to secure an abundance of fresh
air. The patient however, must not be
exposed to direct drafts and this car be
avoided by fitting beneath the lower win
dow-sash strip of board few inches in
width.
6. Other children of the family, not af-
fected, may be sent to some place where
there are no children, or others liable to
take the disease; but their clothing should
have had no contact with the patient or
should be disinfected and they should re-
main apart from the public for a period of
two weeks.
T. Friends should not be allowed to visit
the patient, and no one should be admitted
to the sick-room except the nurse and nee
essary attendants. No child must be al
lowed to enter the house.
s. A card with "Scarlet Fever'' on it
should be placed in a conspicuous position
on the house or premises in which there is
q person sick with the disease.
g. The attendants should wear only such
clothing as can be washed, and should keep
themselves and their patient perfectly
clean. Especially should they guard
against allowing the discharges from the
patient to remain on their hands, which
should be frequently washed in a disinfect-
ant solution.
TO- Food or drink which has been in the
sick-room should not be thrown in the
swill-barrel; it should be cared for in the
same manner as the discharges of the
patient.
II. All cups, glasses, spoons, etc, used
in the sick-room should be washed separate
from the other dishes, and should remain
some time in boiling water
II. Towels, bed-clothes, the patients
body linen, etc, should not be mixed with
the other soiled clothing, or be admitted to
the general wash without being first thor
oughly disinfected.
Ii. All persons recovering from scarlet
fever are dangerous, and should not be
permitted to attend school, church, or
other public assembly, nor allowed to play
with other children. They are sources OF
OF the skin continues, and must be kept
secluded until this process is fully com
pleted.
A. A public funeral must not be held of
any one dying from this disease, and in nc
case should any child be permitted to at.
tend Newspaper notices of such deaths
should distinctly state that the deceased
died of scarlet fever.
DIsINFECTIoN.
When case of scarlet fever occurs lei
the following disnfectant solutions be pre-
pared at once:
Solution No. 1.-Dissolve chloride of lime
of the best quality, in soft water, in the
proportion of four ounces to the gallon
Ut has been demonstrated that copperas i.
not properly disinfectant 1t is an ex
cellent antiseptie, arresting putrefactive
decomposition, but does not destroy the
vitality of disease gerpis or the injecting
power of material containing them
Hence it must not be substituted for Solu.
tions No. or No. 2)
mate in hot water, in the proportion OF
two ounces to the gallon. and add one
drachm OF permanganate of potash to each
gallon to give color to the solution.
l.. The discharges from the throat, mouth
and nose are extremely dangerous, and
should be received on soft cloths (handker
chiefs should not be used) which must be
Immediately burned or immersed in Solu
ton No, l.
2. Vomited matters, discharges from the
bowels, kidneys, eyes, ears and skin, are
also dangerous, and should be treated al
above, or be directly received in vesse
containing pint or more of Solution No
l. Retain in the vessel thirty minutes
when the contents may be thrown in the
water-closet or privy-vault.
3. The particles of skin thrown off from
the patients body are supposed to be fire.
quent carriers of the contagium, and, un
less countermanded by the ply stefan, the
body should be frequently anointed with
vaseline, oil, ETC., which prevents theii
dissemination.
4. The soiled clothing, bed linen, towels
ETC., should at once be placed in boiling
water and boiled thirty minutes If thi.
can not be done in the sick room, they
should be placed Immediately in a solution
prepared by adding half teacupful of So
luton No. to one gallon of water; or il
the same proportion for larger quantities
| Allow them to remain in the solution al
| least two hours; they may then be wrunl
out and sent to the laundry.
5. The body of person who has died o
| scarlet fever should be washed with Solu
ton No. l ana wrapped in a sheet we
with the same The body should be burieC