Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1886-11-13
SCARLET FEVER.


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 tsinfecting prop
critics for months unless destroyed by |
proper disinfection.
II usually attacks children under ten |
years of age, hence the great importance l
Of preventing children from being exposed /
to tho disea Sc. The latest evidence indi- /
Gates that scarlet fever never origin |
ates from any tellurlc 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 successively large family Of chill
dren II is believed that by the strict OBJ
seryance OF the following rules and regula-
tons this disease may be greatly restricted
in our State:
!. 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 inms-
diately be separated from all Others ex-
| ceptng his attendants, aud removed to
room specially prepared for his occupancy.
II, ,-,.t
| removing from it all supertuous 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
everything removed from them.
4. The room should be large preferably
in the upper story, and as far removed
from the family rooms as possible
s. The best means for disinfecting a sick
room is 10 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 a few inches in
width.
6. Other children Of the family, not af-
fected may be sent to some place where
there ore 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 period Of
two weeks.
Z. Friends should not be allowed to visit
the patient. and no one should be admitted
to the sick room except the nurse aud nee
essary attendants. No child must be al
lowed TO enter the house.
5. A card with Scarlet Fever on it
should be placed in a conspicuous position
on the house or premises in which there is
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 disinfoct
ant solution.
TO- Food or drink which has been in the
| sicl;-room should not be thrown in the
? swill-barrel: it should be cared for in the
same manner as the discharges Of thc
: patient.
Il. Al! cups, glasses; spoons etc, use
o from the other dishes, and should remain
1 some time in boiling water.
y. Towels, bed-c.Othes, the patient.
+ body linen etc, shoul! no be mixed Will
. the other soled clothing, or be admitted 4
9 the general wash without being first thor
+ oughly disinfected.
1 l3. All persons recovering from scarlet
fever are dangerous, and should not b
4 permitted to attend school church. o.
- other public assembly, nor allowed to play
t with other children. They are sources o
| coltagion 50 long as any poelng or sealing
| OF the skin continues. and must be KEEP
secluded until this process is fully com
pleted
) "A. \ public funeral must not be held o
, any ono dying from this disease, and in NJ
case should any child be permitted to at
/ toad. Newspaper notices of such death
should distinctly state that the deCeaSe,
, died oi scarlet fever
pISINrECrIDN.
, When n case OF scarlet fever occurs. le
= the following disinfectaut solutions be pre-
pared nj once:
{ Sg}ptioE N5. t.-Dssolve chloride of lime
, Of the best quality, in soft water in tn
! proportion Of four ounces to the gallon
Ut has been demonstrated that cOpperaS /
5 not properly disinfectant, 1t Is an eX
cellpnt an;isaptie, arresting putrefnctlv
decomposition, but does not destroy tht
! vitality of disease germs or the intectins
, power of material containing them
Hence il must not be substituted for Solu
} tons No. or No. p
I solution No. dissolve corrosive subli
mate in hot water, in the proportion 0
1 two ounces to the gallon, and add on
, drachm of permansanate ofpotash to eacl
/ gallon to give color to the solution.
/ l. The discharges from the throat moutl
9 and nose are extremely dangerous, nn'
should be received on soft cloths (handker
chiefs should not be usell which must b'
| Immediately burned OF immersed in Solu
ti0n No. !.
2 Vomited matters, discharges from th'
bowels, kidneys eyes, ears and skin, arr
also dangerous, and should be treated II
S above, or be directly received in vesse
4 containing a pint or more of Solution No
/; !. Retain in the vessel thirty minutes
when the contents may be thrown i'll tn
J., water-closet or privy-vault.
D g. The particles of skin thrown oil from
A the patients body are supposed to be FIRE
: quent carriers of the contagium, and. un
+ less countermanded by the physician, tn
. body should be frequently anointed wit
{ vaSeline, oil, etc, which prevents thel
j dissemination.
. A. The soiled clothing, bed linen, towels
\ etc, should at once be placed in hoilinl
Q water and boiled thirty minutes II thi
e can not be done in the sick room, tho,
should be placed Immediately in a solution
q prepared bv adding a half teacupful of Sc
q luton No , to one gallon OF water; or Il
Q the same proportion for larger quantities
/ Allow them to remain in the solution q
/ "a
V out and sent to the laundry.
r 3. The body of a person who has died c
n scarlet fever should be washed with Soil
b tion No l and wrapped in Il sheet We
with the same. The body should be burie
Y at once, and in no case should be expose
3 to view
Q :. After death or recovery of the sicl
the room, furniture, aud other content
+. not to be destroyed, must be thorough
3 disnfected.
IL a, Ii is best to burn all articles whic
have been in contact with the perso'
g Those too valuable to destroy, may
treated as follows;
= b. All articles which can be washed ma
,, be treated according to Rule t. under Di
d infection.
& !, The room and all articles in it, whiC
VI can not be treated by either Of the aboN
n methods, must be thoroughly fumigated.
10 a. The contents of the room should
so arranged as to expose the create
10 amount of surface to the action of the dl
infectant. Heavy woolen clothing. silk
furs, stuffed bed covers and similar ar
e. cles should be hung up in the room al
ID pockets turned inside out. Pillows, ma
IS tresses, upholstered furniture, etc, must
cut open and the contents spread out Il
id fumigation. Carpets ara best fumigatt
a on the floor After fumigaton, these ar
cles must all be hung in the open air al
10 thoroughly beaten and shaken.
is S. To disnfect q room by fumigatio
Il proceed as follows:
a. Close the apartment as completely