The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-12-03
STRICT MEASURES RECOMMENDED
The Board of Health Publishes 81 Strong
Circular Letter.


The Board of Health Publishes a Strong
Circular Letter.
The board OF health met yesterday
afternoon, Drs. Staples and Jones being
present. 1t was decided not to draw I'D
an ordinance to be presented to Council,
as an examination of the ordinances
revealed the fact that tho board has full
power to act in urgent cases. In place
OF the ordinance they prepared tho fol-
lowing circular letter:
IL having been brought to tho atten-
ton of the board OF heal sh that the citi-
zens OF the city have become very much
exercised in regard to what is believed
to be threatened epidemic of diph-
liberia and scarlet fever, and in the
capacity of guardians OF the pub
lie health we deem it our DUTY
to take certain steps and make certain
suggestions toward preventing, so far
as is in our power, the spread of said dis.
seases. The people should be called
upon to observe the following precau.
lions in the event of the appearance in
their families of either one of the above
named diseases, and falling to do so the
attending physician should make it his
duty to see that they are a:ried out:
''As soon as the nature OF the disease is
recog nized the patient should be at once
isolated, and, il possible, the sick room
should be on the top floor of the house.
Before placing the patient in IL. the
room should be stripped OF all unneces-
sary furniture, hangings, etc, and thor
oughly cleaned, ventilated, and disin-
fected, tho best and most available dis
infectant being fresh air and cleanliness
There should be placed in the sick room
saucers containing chloride OF lime or
crude permanganate of potassium, and
the room once or twice daily sprinkled
with disinfectant solution, such as
Platt's chlorides.
The clothing, towels, bed linen,
ETC., should, on removal from the pa
tient, and before they arc taken from
the room, be placed in a pail or tub Of
boiling hot zinc solution zinc sulphate
four pounds, common salt two
pounds, and hot water one gallon.) All
discharges from the patient should DO
received in vessels containing a solu-
ton OF corrosive sublimate lone drachm
10 orc gallon of water.) When this is
impracticable they should be covered
Immediately with the solution All
vessels used about the patient should
be clcansed with tho same solution. AZ
tho corrosin sublimate solution is
deadly poison il should be used with
great care and under tho direction of
the attending physician.
Tho room from watch the patient
has been taken should be thoroughly
fumigated, viz: Close the room as
tightly as possible, stopping up chin
neys, ventilators, etc; place tho sui
phur in iron pans placed on benches; set
in tubs OF water; over tho sulphur place
small quantity of alcohol and ignite.
After a thorough Immigration tho room
should remain closed for twentyfour
hours and then opened and thoroughly
aired. All heavy clothing, blankets,
be dding and other articles which cannot
be treated with the zinc solution should
be hung in tho room during the fumi
CATION, their surfaces thoroughly ex
posed (Caro should be taken to have
wooden and cotton goods free from
moisture. or the sui phur fumes will
injure theml. Afterwards they should
be hung in the open air and thoroughly
beaten and shaken.
Carpet can best bo tumigated on the
hoor, but should Afterwards be removed
to the open air and thoroughly beaten.
For fumigation at least three pounds OF
sulphur should be used for every thou
sand cubic feet of space. Thus a room
ten feet square would require three
pounds OF sulphur. The premises. cell
lar, yards, stables, cutters privies, cess-
pools, water closets. drains, ETC.. should
be frequently and literally treated with
copperAs solution, ok pounds to the
gallon of water).
only such person or persons as may
be needed to nurse the patient should
enter the sick room. The other children