The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-11-18


State Board of Health would not be doing
is whole duty if it failed to point out the
BEST possible means known of restri sting
md preventing this dread disease
SCARLET FEVER.
Scarlet fever, also called scarlatira, scar
et rash, canker rash, ETC., Is dangerous,
disease, of far more 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 small pox, in its tenacious attach
ment to objects and in portability to dis
tant localities.
The poison may retain its injecting prop
erties for months unless destroyed by
proper disinfection.
It usually attacks children under ten
years of age, hence the great Importance
of preventing children from being exposed
to the disease. The latest evidence indi-
Gates that scarlet fever never origin
ates from, any telluric or atmospheric
influence, but is always dus to a 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
view of this fact, the great importance of
isolation, quarantine and disinfection in
the spread Of the disease, is
beyond question. From want of proper
precautions in this respect, it not infre-
auently happens that scarlet fever will
attack successively large family of chill
dren. 1t is believed that by the strict OBJ
servance of the following rules and regula-
tions this disease may be greatly restricted
in our State:
1. When a child has sore throat and
fever, and especially when scarlet fever is
present in the neighborhood, it should inn
mediately be separated from others until a
physician has seen it, and determined
whether it has scarlet fever.
2. 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
room specially prepared for his occupancy.
removing from it all superfiuouss 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, aud as far removed
from the family rooms as possible.
5. The best means for disiufecting sick
room is to secure an abundance of fresh
air. The patient, however, must not be
exposed to direct drafts, and this can be
avoided by fitting beneath the lower win
dow-sash a strip of board q 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 OF
should be disinfected, and they should re-
main apart from the public for period of
two weeks.
Z. Friends should not be allowed to visit
tho patient. and no one should be admitted
to the sick-room except the nurse and nee
essary attendants. No child must bs al
lowed to enter the house.
s. A card with "Scarlet Fever" on il
should be placed in a conspicuous position
on the house OF premises in which there is
q person sick with the disease.
9. The attendants should wear only such
clothing as can be washed, and should keeI
themselves and their patient perfectly
clean. Especially should they guard
against allowing the discharges from ths
patient to remain on their hands, which
should be frequently washed in a disinfect
ant solution.
| sick-room should not be thrown in th
swill-barrel; it should be cared for liz tn
same manner as the discharges OF tn
| patient.
in the sick-room should be washed separat
from the other dishes, and should remain
some time in boiling water.
| IL. Towels, bed-ciothes, the patient
body linen, ETC., should not be mixed wit
the other soiled clothing, or be admitted t
/ the general wash without being first thol
oughly disinfected.
13. All persons recovering from scarle
fever are dangerous, and should not b
permitted to attend school, church, @
other public assembly, nor allowed to pla
| with other children. They are sources O
of the skin continues, and must be keI
secluded until this process is fully con
pleted.
A. A public funeral must not bs held G
any one dying from this disease, and in n
case should any child be permitted to a
tend Newspaper notices of such death
should distinctly state that the decease
died of scarlet fever.
DIsINFECTIoN.
When a case of scarlet fever occurs Il
the following disinfectant solutions be pr
pared at once:
Solution No. f.-Dissolve chloride of lin
of the best quality, in soft water, in II
proportion of four ounces to the gallo
ct has been demonstrated that copperas
; not properly disinfectant 1t is an e.
ceIlent antiseptie arresting putrefacti,
decomposition, but does not destroy ii
vitality of disease germs or the infectir
power of material containing ther
Hence it must not be substituted for Sol
tions No. l or No. 9.
Solution No 2-Dissolve corrosive sub
mate in hot water, in the proportion
/ two ounces to the gallon and add o.
. drachm of permanganate of potash to ca
gallon to give color to the solution.
| l. The discharges from the throat, mou
, and nose are extremely dangerous, al
should be received on soft cloths (handkt
!. i chiefs should not be used) which must
| Immediately burned or immersed in SOL
ton No, /.
2. Vomited matters, discharges from :.
bowels, kidneys, eyes, ears and skin,
also dangerous, and should be treated
S above, or be directly received in a yes:
4 containing pint or more of Solution \
' l. Retain in the vessel thirty minut'
when the contents may be thrown i'll t
!, | water-closet or privy-vault.l
8 g. The particles of skin thrown off fro
a the patients body are supposed to be
:. quent carriers of the contagium. and, I
l. less countermanded by the physician, t
), body should be frequently anointed wi
4 vaseline, oil, etc., which prevents tn
u dissemination.
Q A. The soiled clothing, bod linen, towe
II ETC.. should at once be placed in ,boili
9 water and boiled thirty minutes If t
e can not be done in the sick room, tn
10 prepared by adding half teacupful of
70 luton No. to one gallon OF water; OF
10 the same proportion for larger quantiti
l. Allow them to remain in the solution
70 least two hours; they may then be wru
y out and sent to the laundry.
|
n scarlet fever should be washed with Sc
b tion No. / aud wrapped in a sheet ,
with the same. The body should be bur
y at once, and in no casa should be expo
s. to view.
re- 7. After death or recovery of the 81
the room, furniture, and other conte
T. not to be destroyed, must be thoroug
c. disinfocted.
IN a. 1t is best to burn all articles VIII
have been in contact with the pers
re Those too valuable to destroy, may
treated as follows:
C. b. All articles which can be washed n
%. be treated according to Rule 4, under
ed infection.
lg z. The room and all articles in it, WI
of can not be treated by either of the alb
er methods, must be thoroughly fumigated
he a. The contents of che room shoult
SO arranged as to expose the great
tie amount of surface to the action of the
infectant. Heavy woolen clothing 81
furs, stuffed bed covers and similar 6
,e. cles should be hung up in the room
ed pockets turned inside out. Pillows, Il
as tresses, upholstered furniture, ETC., mus
o,,t o,,a,, opd tho contaptS SnYpad ont