The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1889-07-11
DIPHTHERIA.

DIPHTHERIA.
The State Board OF Health of New
York has issued new circular on the
prevention of diphtheria. 1t reads as
follows
The diphtheria is a preventable di-
sease. Its existence depends on condi.
tons that can generally be controlled.
1t may appear in any community, but
it shonld not be allowed to uevelop be-
yond the first case or cases that make
their appearance. Diphtheria propably
always originates from special poison
which develops in the person sick with
it. This special poison is given off in the
breath, the discharges from the mouth,
throat and nose, and in some degree in
those from the bowels and bladder. The
virus has the property of adhering tena-
ciously to objects on which it happens to
alight. BY reason of this the sick room,
its floor, walls furniture and all its con-
tents become injected with the disease
and continue to be so until the virus is
destroyed by cleansing and fumigation.
The disease may also be carried away
by any article coming in contact with
the sick, and to which virus clings, by
the clothing bedding, eating utensils
food, toys, and also by the PERSONS cloth
ing of those in attendance upon the pa
tient. Another important fact is the vi
rus is very long lived articles and pre-
misses infected with it may communicate
the disease for at least several weeks; it
may be transported by them with great
facility, and to an indefinite distance.
A final important point is that bad
sanitary conditions favor the develop
ment and propagation of the diphther-
itic virus. 1t grows best in places that
are damp and foul and i'll ventilated, in
cellars moist by imperfect drainage and
defled by the uneleanly accumulation in
the soil about it; in damp, unventilated,
spaces under floors; in cesspools, drains
and sewers, or any place where there is
dampness, filth, and imperfect access of
fresh air. In large cities the sewers fur
nish so favorable place for the growth
of this virus when it gets into them, and
its vitality is so great under such sur
roundings, that their injection may b.
come permanent. No similar conditions
however, need exist in small localities.
Diptheria is contracted by inhalation
of air containing the disease germs COM
ing directly from the sick or from articles
infected by them. 1t is also communica-
ted by articles passing from mouth to
mouth, such as cups, spoons and toys.
The articles by which it is communica-
ted may have become infected weeks be-
fore, and possibly at some locality quite
remote. 1t is contracted by inhaling
the air from sewers, cesSpools, cellars, or
any damp, foul, or Authenticated place in
which the desease germs chance to have
become planted. Children contract diph-
liberia much more readily than adults.
Every locality is liable to have diph-
theli la brought into it. 1t will not con-
tinue long if the principal conditions on
which its existence mainly depends are
removed.
l. Isolation,-Those sick with diph-
therla should be isolated from every one
except necessary attendants. This
should be done with mild cases as well
as severe ones. They should be placed
in an upper airy room, as remote as pos
sible from other living and sleeping
rooms. Needless furniture and other ar
ticles should be removed from the room.
Allow the windows to b open, for the
poison does not go far away in the DIT
mosphere; give sunshine and fresh air
constantly.
The attendants should remember that
they carry with them the poison of the
desease, and they must keep entirely
away from others, especially children,
who take diphtherla most readily. No
article should leave the room without
cleansing or distinction, Utensils used
by the sick should be well cleansed before
used by others. Food left by them should
be destroyed. Bed and body should be-
fore being taken from the room, be placed
in disinfectant No. 2, boiling hot, if pos
sible. Cats and dogs should be exclud-
ed
The discharges from the mouth and
nose must be received on cloths that can
be burned, or in cups that can be dis
infected. Vessels for receiving the dis
charges from the mouth, nose. kidneys,
and bowels should contain some of dis
infectant No or 3, and after use should
be cleansed with boiling water.
The patient must not mingle with the
well until all traces of the desease have
lett the throat and nose. Before leaving
the sick room the body should be thor
oughlv washed and fresh, disinfected
clothing should be put on, leaving every
thing else behind to be dlsintected, Muir
SEES must observe the same final precau-
tions.
2. General Precautions. All Id
avoid sources of contagion. Well CHILD
rem had better be removed entirely from
the house, but should be kept under OBJ
servation, and if diphtheria develops
brought home again so as not to estab-
1ish a new centre. Persons remaining in
the house should not 60 to school, church,
or any general gathering, nor to any
house where there are young persons.
If the disease has secured a foothold in
locality, every case of sore throat should
be regarded as suspicious and excluded
from schools and from contact with 9TH
er children. 1t would be well to make
sure that milk is not taken from dairy
where the disease exists.
g. Sanitary observation-disclosures
shonld lie kept clean, dry and we'll VEN
tilated; particular attention should be
given to the cellar. Drain pi pes and flx-
lures should be drained. teaching cess
pools and privy vaults removed, all de-
composing accumulations of garbage or
stable manure cleared away and the
place made in every way clean. These
precautions are to be especially observed
about dom1ciles where the disease exists.
The condition of school houses should
not be overlooked.
4. In case of death the body should
be inclosed in sheet saturated with dis
infectant No. 8, placed in a tight coffin
not afterward opened and burial should
be private and with as little delay as
possible.
DIsINFEcTIoN.
1. Of the room.-Duringi occupancy
as a sick room the precautions suggested
above as to destruction of disease germs
attached to articles of any sort before
their removal from it should be carefully
observed. At the termination of the
quarantine the room should be tightly
closed and with all it's infected contents
fumigated with the fumes of burning sui
phur or of chlorine, which, especially if
the latter is used, should be done only by
a competent person. Arrange al! the
contents Of the room so that their sur
faces are readily reached by the disinfect-
ing gas. The room should remain closed
for twenty-four hours, after which it and
its contents should be aired thoroughly
for several days. The woodwork should
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