The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-12-25

[From the Sanitary Inspector for Novemberl
In cur last issue we said that the outbreak
of diphtheria at the Insane Hospital was
apparently nearly or quite at an end. Thirty
one days passed without case of the dis
ease on the male side, and over two months
with no cases on the female side, when the
disease suddenly re-appeared ON the male
side Nov I'D, and, at the time of the present
writing, there have been IL new cases. This
is almost disheartening and the overworked
officials in the institution deserve our sym
pathy.
In this outbreak we have illustrated fact
which very frequently comes under obserya-
tion, that is, that when the infection of
dphtheria is introduced into a city, village,
town or public institution, though 1t may
not always spread with such promptness
and rapidity as is often shown in the case of
some other infectious diseases when they
are let alone, diphtheria shows wonderful
power of tenaciously clinging to localities
into which the infection is brought, and this
very often irrespective of the sanitary condi-
tionS OF the places. At the Insane Hospital
much good work has been done during the
last few years in improving the hygienic
needs to be done. Particularly in the two
out @ in ~nfS he IA last was report pf pfntSe tSe
State Board of Health, the plumbing is anti
quated and dangerous, and there is urgent
need that changes be made Immediately. In
these two wings almost anyone would have
been willing to wager that il diphtheria
were introduced into the hospital it would
DO its worst work. Yet the fact has been
that In the first wing on the female side,
where the plumbing is outrageously bad,
there bas not been a case of iiphtheria. and
IN the first wiug on the male side, there have
been but few cases. What, then, have
been the causes OF the prolongation Of the
outbreak? In the first place it is never to be
forgotten that diphtheria is an infectious
disease, and that the management at the
Hospital has been working under disadvan-
tages ae-s-
One of these is the over-crowded condition
OF the wards. A few evenings ago the writ
er was at the hospital late In the evening, and
went through some of the wards after the
patients had code 20 bed. In each ward, all
OF the rooms we're full and in addition, cot
beds were made up, all through the corridors
Tor patients III si that could not. 9th
wards, from 20 to 27 patients were camped
down on cot beds. These cot beds in the
morning have to be removed and packed
away, and when during the foreoon inspec-
tion OF the throats of the patients, a diph-
thereto throat Is found, the bedding has usu-
ally been packed away, and the disinfection
OF many beds has to be made that they may
pc sure that they have reached the infected
bedding.
Another circumstance which has proba-
ably contributed to the prolongation of the
outbreak is the fact that it has been very
dificult to learn when the patients have a
slight diphtheria without making an ocular
examination OF the interior of their throats
and this, in many cases, has been very diff
cult TO carry out, on account of the demented
condition of the patient or his insane stub
bornness.