Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1889-04-19
DIPHTHERIA.
An interesting Letter BY the
City Health Onicer on Isola- j
ton. Dfsinfect Ell.

As,diphtheria Is q dreadful disease,
and to be feared and avoided By all pos
sible means, thought il would Be i
very good idea to give some opinions of
the best and most experienced pKysii-s
clans on the matter, especially about
disinfection and isolation. In the An
nual Of the Universal Medical Sciences.
we see that the most effective method
as 4 preventive Of diphtheria is the
isolation and disinfection Of patients,
and the. disinfection OF the apartments,
and preventing the inhalation of nox-
ious gases wherever an outbreak OF
diDhtheria has occurred. Il. 5.s
pr. a. B. Baker, Of Lansing, has pub.
lished statistics showing that In lO2 out
breaks Of the disease the average num-
Der Of cases where disinfectlon and iso-.
lation, ono or both, were neglected, was
IS, and the average deaths 1923; while
in l16 outbreaks in which disinfection
and isolation were enforced the average
case per outbreak was 2.s8, and the av-
erage deaths :66. Therefore these pre-
cautionary measures prevented Is cases
and PSI deaths for each outbreak, in
total 1915 cases and 29s deaths in one
year. As far as isolation is concerned,
parents ought to be very careful not to
let their children remain second in
house where there is case Of diphthe.
ria, or if it is impossible to take them
away from home. at least absolutely for
bid any of them, young or old, to re
main An instant where the sick one is
confined. This ought to be strictly OBJ
served, and in fact the board of health
will compel people to submit to it, for
the benefit of US all.
" A word about disinfection.- The re-
csht recommendation of turpentine in
the treatment of diphtheria by many
physicians Of large experience and
sound Judgment, among whom we
might mention Drs. Llewellyn Eliot, A.
jacob Rose of Hamburg, Prof: F. Mas
sal. Drs. Reventaur, Delthil, schenk or,
Baruck, ETC., has extended and estab-
lished the use Of this agent 80 that it is
now regarded as one of the most eff
Gent and important remedies. DR..
Llewellyn Eliot directs the constant en-
ployment upon the stove, over water
bath, of turpentine. 30 that its vapor
hllethe room. In every instance where
it has been employed no other case has
occurred.
J. Lewis Smith, M. D., Clinical Pro-
fessor of diseases of children in Belle
vue Hospital Medical College, New
York, says: "The writer's (he is tho
writer ofthe article in question: own
method IL employing the oil of turpen-
tine, and with such apparent results
during the last two years that he strong
ly recommends it to the profession, is
as follows: Oil eucalypti, two drachms,
oil Of terebinth, eight ounces. Put of
this mixture about one tablespoonful to
each qnart of water. This is placed in
shallow vessels and maintained in con.
stant ebulhtion. or at least simmering
over the stove. The editor of the A. of
the U. NJ. S., ;Chas. E. sajous, lecturer
on Laryngology and Entomology in
Jefferson college Of Philadelphia, says
he has strong belief based on observa-
ton, that it will come into general use |
asa means Of protecting other children
ofthe family, and enabling the physi-
clan to, attend to midwifery and other
practice without risk Of communicating
diphtheria.
I would suggest that these disinfec-
tants, should be in constant use in each
and every house in Little Falls, and IT, IT,
pecially hotels and public buildings.
Furthermore, that the local Board of
Education sec that it is observed in the
schools of our city, and that the county
School Superintendent should give the
same orders to all the teachers in Nor.
rison county and sec that they put them
into execution. - H.
Thanking you in the nafne Of the To-
cal Board Of Health, ! remain, Mr.. Edi-
tor, Respectfully,
= G. NJ. A. FoErlER,
Health Officer.