The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-11-30
Typhoid Fever.

The means by which typhoid fever
may be prevented from spreading are
very simple, very sure, and their cost
next to nothing.
They are founded on the discovery
that the poison which the fever spreads
is almost entirely contained in the dis
charge from the bowels.
These discharges infect: l. The air of
the sick room. 2. The bed and body
linen of the patient. 8. The privy and
cesspool, or the drains proceeding from
them.
From the privy or drain the poison
often soaks into the we'll and infects the
drinking water. This last, when it hap
pens. is of all forms of fever poisoning
the most deadly.
In these various ways the infection
proceeding from the bowel diseases often
spreads the fever far and wide.
The one great thing to aim at, there.
fore, is to disinfect these discharges on
their very escape from the body, and
before they are carried from the sick
room.
This may be perfectly done by the use
OF the disinfectants. One of the best Is
made of green copperas. This substance,
which Is used by all shoemakers, is very
cheap and may be had everywhere. A
pound and a halfo green copperas to a
gallon of water is the proper strength. A
teacupful of this liquid put into the
nightpan every time before it is used by
the patient renders the bowel discharge
perfectly harmless. One part of Gal.
vert's liquid carbolic acid in fifty parts Of
water is equally eficacious. s.
To disinfect the bed and body linen
and the bedding generally, chloride Of
lime or McDougal's or Calvert's powder
Is more convenient. These powders
should be sprinkled by means of a com.
mon dredger or soiled spots On the linen,
and about the room to purify the air.
All articles of bed and body linen
should be plunged Immediately into
bucket of water containing tablespoon.
fnlof chloride of lime. or McDougall's or
Calvert's powder, and should be boiled
before being washed. A yard of thin,
wide guttapsrcha placed beneath the
blanket, under the breech of the patient,
by efsctually preventing the discharges
from soaking into the bed, is a great
additional safeguard. .-.
The privy or closet, and all drains
communicating with is, should be flushed
twice daily with the green copperas
liquid, or with carbolic acid diluted with
water. ..
: In towns and villages where the fever
is already prevalent, the last rule should
be put in force for all houses, whether
there be fever in them or not, and for all
public drains.
In the event of death, the body should
be placed, as soon as possible, in coffin
sprinkled with disinfectants. Early
burial is on all accounts desirable.
As the hands of those attending on the
sick often become unavoidably soiled by
the discharges from the bowels, they
should be frequently washed. -
The sick room should be kept we'll
ventilated day and night. ...
The greatest possible care should be
taken with regard to the drinking water.
Where there is the slightest risk of it
having become tainted with fever poison,
water should be got from a pure source,
or should at least be boiled before being
drunk. Immediately after the illness is
over, whether ending in death or recov.
cry, the dresses worn by the nurses
should be washed or destroyed, and the
bed and room occupied by the sick
should be thoroughly disinfected.
These are golden rules. Where they
are neglected the fever may become a
deadly scourge where they are strictly
carried out it never spreads beyond the