Huntsville gazette., 1888-10-27
CONTAGIOUS DISEASES.
How They Are Conveyed From the Sick 20
PorsOns al a Distance.


termine the extent to which the COM
municating particle can be carried. 1t
is probable that the air from small
pox hospital has given the disease to
persons mile distant. On the contra
ry, scarlet fever has been brought into
the ward of a full but well-aired hos
pital and continued there day with
out single person contracting the
disease If we could be sure as to the
secretions and all the skin separations
from scarlet fever it would not be a
very communicable disease; yet we
have known dress folded up at the
bed of dying patient and placed in a
trunk. to convey the poison to fami-
ly of children four miles distant, when
the dress was unfolded in their pres
ence three months afterward. WhOOp-
ing-cough and diphtheria are proba-
bly, never conveyed by the first case
occurring, except by the breath or
sputa of the patient. Measles, on the
other hand, are communicated at much
greater distances. In general, any one
of this class of diseases having become
epidemic, the communication to others
is from houses and clothing far more
than from persons. Difficult as it is to
determine accurately all the facts as to
the conveyance of these diseases, their
transmissibility, their times of incep-
tion and the time of greatest risk of
contagion, or when the patient ceases
to be risk to others, no subject is of
more vital Importance to communities.
DR.. Vacher, the medical officer of
Birkenhead, and DR.. Dukes, of Rugby,
have given much attention to the sub
ject and have classified large number
of cases as to the time from the first
symptom to the beginning of eruption,
the time from beginning of eruption to
cessation of fever, and the time from
beginning of eruption to when the pa
tient ceases to be infective. They
state the latter as follows: For small
pox, Sc days; measles, 81 days; scarlet
fever, 40 days; diphtheria, % days;
mumps, p days; typhoid fever, %
days.
These will serve as general guides
In all cases where schools are con-
cerned the time of return should be
guarded. 1t is to be remembered that
more depends upon the cleanliness of
the house and family and upon the
garments worn than upon the person.
It is often question how far boards
of health shall require reports of con-
tagious diseases. In any good system
OF sanitary government such report is
required as to smallpox, scarlet fever,
diphtheria, typhus fever, cholera, and
as to measles when extensively cpl
demic. We think strict rules should
be enforced upon physicians as to such
report, but that they should be paid
therefor, inasmuch as such report is
of special service, quite different from
the certifcation of death. The hab-
its of different countries and States
differ much, but all agree that the re
port should be made by some one.
This is rendered more essential by re-
cent facts, which show that by early
and strict isolation the common COM
municable diseases are often prevented
from becoming epidemic.
1t is often question how far attend
sance at funerals should be prevented
in cases of death from communicable
diseases. We know of recent case in
which the attendance of children at a
church funeral, the death having been
caused by malignant diphtheria, prob
ably led to a dozen deaths and many
cases in sparse country village. The
exposure is far greater for children
than for adults, If all details as to the
washing of the dead body, the dealing
with clothing, the time of transfer to
the coffin, the use of disinfectants,
could be carefully regulated, it is
probable that the risk would be very
little; but as we can not rely upon the
carrying out of all these details, it is
better to prohibit public funerals, and
to announce cause of death in all cases
of the more dangerous communicable
diseases.
Similar caution is needed as to the
visits of friends upon those who are
thus sick. While there is no need ot
such fear as will preclude assistance
from older persons where there is
need of help, there is no excuse fN ex-
posing the young. With due precau-
ton as to airing garments, it is very
rare that communicable diseases are
carried to others by the casual visitor.
We thus desire to caution all against
unnecessary exposure, and to secure
public opinion as an aid in preventing
the spread of a class of diseases which
counts SO many victims.-N. 7. Inde-
pendent.
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