The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1886-08-28
How 10 Prevent the Spread of
Diphtheria.
From the American Medical Journal.

Dlphtherla is q terrible disease, and
when it breaks out in school or in a
family where there are several child
rem unless the very best precautions
are observed is likely to spread, for it
is disease that may be communicated
from one person to another. 1t is con-
tagious. Regarding the different
measures employed to prevent the
spread Of this disease, we very greatly
prefer the fumes of burning sulphur.
We regard sulphur as the NOSE effect
i've disinfectant we can use for the pnr-
pose of preventing the spread of diph-
liberia in schools and i'm families where
several children are exposed, and it
has salutary effect upon those already
suffering from the disease. We have
had the care of scores of diphtheria
patients, and we can refer to several
children where the disease was limit
ed to one child, and we verify believe
that the fumes of burning sulphur
were instrumental in preventing the
spread of the disease.
In all cases where diphtheria breaks
out in a school no children should be
permitted to go to the school from
The A 81,
school hours, in the evening, the
schoolrooms should be thoroughly
fumigated with sulphur. This should
be done daily, but the house should be
free from the sulphur fumes during
school hours, for the coughing and
sneezing that might result from the
sulphur fumes would create great an
nOyance and confusion. Where diph-
liberia prevails in family the patient
or patients, if there are two or three
attacked at the same time, should be
isolated, confined to one room and all
the children not affected should be
kept in some remote part Of the house
entirely if practicable. In either case
whether any of the children are re-
moved from the house or not, every
room, including the one occupied by
the patient, should be fumigated with
sulphur two or three times daily.
The most convenient way of fumi-
eating is to doop a small pinch of
sulphur upon hot stove, if there is
one in the room; if there is no stove
in the room, few Goals on Il shovel
or other convenient utensil may be
carried into the room, and the sui phur
may be dropped on the Goals. A little
experience will soon enable any one
to determine how much sulphur to
burn in each room. 1t is not neces-
sary to fill the room SO full of these
sulphur fumes as to suffocate us; and
if we happen to burn too much sulph
ur III any given case, and the fumes
| become offensive, the doors and win
dows can be opened for minute or
| two.
Other disenfectants may be employ
ed, but these sui phur fumes will per-
meate every crevico in the hou3a,
they are breathed by us, our clothes
are saturated with them, and, withal
we regard this as the most practical
method of disinfecting against the
spread of diphtheria that can be
adopted. And where diphtheria pre-
yails in a neighborhood, and families
fear its outbreak among their children
they should resort to ulphur fumigat-
ion daily, whether diphtheria has ap.
peared in the house or not; this may
prevent its outbreak in families that
might otherwise suffer from it. AT
least this precaution does not cost
much and can do no harm. These
sulphur fumes will do US no injury.
The serial in Harper's Magazine
maintain their extreme interest.