Evening star., 1886-07-17
HOW TO Prevent the Spread Of Diph.
iberia

From the American Medical Journal
Dphtheria is "A terrible disease and when IL
breaks out in a school or i'm family where
there are several children unless the very best
precautions are observed 1t is likely to spread.
for it is a disease that may be communicated
from one person 10 another. 1t is cQptagio
Regarding the different measures employed 10
prevent the spread OF this disease, we very
greatly prefer the tunes of barning sulphur.
We regard sulphur as the most effective diSin-
tectant we can Use for the purpose OF prevent
ing the spread OF diphthera in schools and i'm
families where several children are exposed,
ana III has salutary effect upon those already
suffering from the disease. We have had the
care OF scores oi diph;heria patients. and Ne
can reter 10 quite number OF families OF chil-
dren where the disease WAS limited to one child,
ana W. verify believe that the fumes uf burning
sulphur were Instrumental la preventing the
spread OF the disease In these cases.
In all cases where diphtneria breaks out in a
school no children should be permitted 10 20 10
the school from houses where the disease exists.
After school hours in the evening, the school
rooms should be thoroughly umigated with
sulphur This should be done daily, but the
house should he free from the sulphur iumcs
during school hourS,for the coughing and snctZ-
ing that might result from the sulphur tunes
would create great anuoya ance and confusion.
Where diphtherla prevails in family the pa
tient or patients, II there are two or three AT
tackled at The same time, should Dc isolated,
confined To one room. aud all the children not
affected should be kept in some remote part of
the house. or removed from the house entirely
ii practicable. la either case, whether ANY of
the children are removed from the house
not, every roohi, including the one occupied 10y
The patient, should be iumigated with sulphur
two or three times daily.
The most convenient method of fumigating is
To drop a small plncn OF sulphur upon a not
stove If there il one in the ROOM there bc
no stove in the room, few Goals ou "A shovel or
other convenient uuenSll may be carried into
the room, and the sulphur may bc dropped on
The Goals. little experience wilI soon enable
amy one 10 determine now much phur to
burn in each room. 1t il not necessary To MI
the room so tuil OF these sulphur fumes as 10
sudocate us; and If we happen 10 burn "A little
TOO much sulphur III any given case, ana the
iuines becomes offensive, the doors and VIII
dows can toe opened Tor "a minute or two.
Other uISInieCtantS may Toe employ ed. but
these sulphur fumes viii permeatc every crcN-
Ice III the house; they are breathed by Us, our
Clothes are saturated with them, and, wltnal,
We regard this iS the most Practical and efiec-
lual method vi dlslniecilon against the spread
oi diphtneria iIat can tee adopted. And where
dlpnJhera prevails in "A nyiguUorhoUd, ana
families iear Its outbreak anon. tBeir children.
they should resort To sulphur Iumigatiou daily,
whether dlphthcrla has appeared ia The house
or not; tins may prevent Ils outbreak In idmi-
lies that might otherwise suficr from il. At
least TINS prccaution does not cost much and
can do no harm. These sulphur Iumes v i'll do
us no injury.