The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1896-04-04
Board Of Health State Of
Louisiana.

u.
Dear Sir:
As numerous applications have been
made to this office by Health Officers
throughout the State for information
and suggestions concerning the santa
nv treatment of Small POx eases in com
munity. it is thought advisable to issue
the following letter setting forth the
practices of this Board.
Methods of Disinfection of Small Pox
; infected premises. as practiced by the
Board of Health, State Of Louisiana; and
Suggestions to Health Officers.
All clothing and bedding that has
been in contact with patient should be
burned. To insure rapid combustion,
the articles are sprinkled with coal oil
or turpentine. These articles when col
lected should be wrapped in sheet
that has been saturated in Mercuric
Chloride Solution q to 1000 before be
ing taken from the house.
Clothing and other fabrics that have
not been i'm contact with the patient,
and that will admit of such treatment,
should be boiled in water for at least 10
minutes. and then rinsed in a solution
a to 1000 of bichloride of mercury,
say | dram to gallon of waterh and
afterwards laundried. All secretiOns or
excretions from the patient that cannot
be burned should be disinfected with
mercuric solution. Napkins and cloths
used abont the patient should be burn
ed Immediately after being used. The
patient should be confined until all pus
has disappear and desQuamatiOn il COM
plete and should be thoroughly spOnged
off with tepid water and soap. and dress
ed i'm a new or nOn-infected suit before
being released. II the patient dies, the
body should be wrapped in sheet satu-
rated with bi-chlodide of mercury (sol. I
to 500 and placed i'm a tight coffin. and
should be buried in an extra deep grave.
Public and church funerals should be
positively forbidden.
niture should be opened and all fabrics
that do not admit Of other treatment
should be opened out as much as posi-
BILE and suspended i'm the room. The
, room should be closed and made az tight
as possible by stopping all opening in
, floor. walls, chimney and cracks neal
windows and doors. Crevices can bt
closed by FASTING strips of paper (olt
= newspaper over them with paste made
1t of flour. After the room has been thus
I. prepared, roll sulphur should be burned
u in the room 3 pounds to 1000 cubic fee
Is of air space, or about 6 pounds Il
an ordinary room. The sulphur should
be placed i'm an iron pot, and this pla
n. ced in tub with about one inch of wa
rs. ter i'm the bottom. This precautiOn il
re taken to guard against accidents, as tn
~ y, sulphur is liable to boil over and set fir
% to the house. This sulphur is easil
ignited by sprinkling alcohol over II
- and then lighting it or by placing kind
INK ptuc III tHc p'e tiooo"i'cs ohu pr
ing the sulphur on the lighted pine
The apartment should be kept close
fifteen hours, and then opened and vel
. ventilated. After this ventilation tn
n. walls, floor, ceiling and furniture shOul'
be well sprinkled with mercuric chic
rifle. solution to 1000, and afterward
J washed down with warm water. Ii tn
walls are papered the paper should b
torn of; if the walls are plastered the
should be given coating of whitewas
made with lime and the bi-chlOride SC
+, luton.
L The yards. drains. cesspOOls, etc, cal
be cheaply disinfected by flushing wit
-- a solution of sulphate Of iron (coppera.
| pound to gallon of water.
All cases should be completely isOla
ted and guarded, both day and nigh
by trustworthy guards and no one al
lowed to enter or leave except the doc
tor who, of course, should be well vacci
| mated and have his dress covered by
buster or rubber coat before enterin
the sick room. This covering should b
disinfested by washing in bi-chlOrid
solution after each visit. and the hand
of the physician should also be washe
in this solution before leaving the house
parsona \, hovn boan aypooaJ Z