Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-04-22
Quarantine and Disinfectants.

| EDITOR TIMEs:-In compliance with
your request as to what is necessary to
protect the community from danger by
reason OF contagious and Infectious dis
eases, submit some of the most impor.
tant rules and regulations prescribed by
the State Board of Health and adopted
by the local Board. 1t would be we'll il
these rules were more generally known
and understood, as it is important that
local boards should have the co.opera.
ton of the community when necessary
to enforce quarantine regulations. The
following is copy of the revised regu-
lations as lately published by the State
Board relating to quarantine:
! Quarantine shall be established and
maintained in each and every case for the
period named herein:
Scarlet Fever-(Scarlatina Scarlet
Rash) forty days from date of the rash,
desquamation having completely ceased,
and there being no appearance of sore
throat.
Diphtheria-( Membranous Group, IS
days.
Small Pox-40 days.
| Asiatic Cholera-21 days.
lyphus Fever-Until complete recov.
cry and 81 days thereafter.
When family is quarentined for diph.
iberia, the head of the fanlily or bread.
winner, shall have the privilege Of atten.
ding to his regular business, and of
going to and from his house only when
complying with the following conditions:
l. He shall change his clothing before
going to and leaving his home to 20 to
his place of business.
2. He shall wash his hands, face, head
and beard with 21a per cent. solution
OF carbolic acid, each time after leaving
his home to go to his place of business.
3. While in the house he shall not act
as nurse or live in the same room with
the sick person.
4. He shall not attend any public meet
ing, or attend any place where persons
are congregated.
5.This privilege shall not be granted
to school teachers. or to any person
whose business brings him in irnmedi.
ate contact with children.
AS this portion of the report does not
cover the means of disinfection, will
briefly state, that while there are several
methods in use, the one in common use
by the public. viz: the burning of sui.
phur is now, by the consensus of opinion
OF the best authorities, considered not of
any value in the way it is usually done.
This fact ought to be Impressed thor
oughly on the general public, sincs it is
the popular opinion that Sulphur burn
ing" is sufficient to destroy all germs of
contagious diseases.
The best disintectants for the dischar-
ges and clothing that have been in contact
with the patient are, intense heat, strong
solutions of Bi chloride of Mercury (cor-
rosive sublemate) and carbolic acid. The
Bi chloride salution is very poisonous
and should be used with extreme caution
to avoid accidents. The disinfectant par
excellence, is Fo' maldehyde, which is
generated from methyl alcohol, wood al
cohol), by burning in specially construc-
ted apparatus, two of which the county
and city now own, and have been in use
by the authorities since last fall IN all
these cases. The advantages of Formal
dehyde cover all other disinfectants in
its effectiveness and convenience in using
Neither is it poisonous to animal life
AS to its effectiveness, DR.. Kinyuon, of
the U. S. Marine service, who has expert
mented with the gas, claims it will des.
troy germs of diphtheria when wrapped
in ten layers of wool blankets or thirty
SIX layers of cotton sheeting. Many
other experiments substantiate this state
ment. 1t does not 1njure fabrics nor at
feet their color, which makes it the ideal
disinfectant fer bedding, wearing appa-
rel, carpets and upholstered furniture.
1t permeates every recess and renders
unnecessary the destruction of much
that would, heretofore, have to be DIES.
troyed. 1t is not expensive, since quart
of methyl alcohol will suffice for an or.
binary room of 13x15xlO. The apart.
ment can be occupied in SIX hours after
fumigatlng, simply yentilating thorough
~, as the gas, when present in any guam
tlty, is somewl at irritating to the lungs
and mucous membranes of the throat
nose and eyes.
l have gone into q lengthy description
OF the merits of Formaldehyde, hoping
to shortly see it relied on as the best and
safest disinfectant by our township
boards. and others who have charge of
health matters IN contiguous territory,
and thus prevent needless spread of
these diseases, since we in the town take
every precaution, without similar ac-
ton on the part Of our township boards,
we are powerless to effectually prevent
and check the spread of contagion.
After considerable investigation the To-
cal board of health is perfectly satisfied
that in Formaldehyde we have thor.
oughly efficient agent to disinfect and
render inocuous all germs of the so. called
contagious diseases and now use it in
every case over which they have jurls.
dlctlon. VIM. CONNOLLY,
Health Officer.
The above article by DR.. VIM. Con-
molly, is SO obviously important to every
body, that the TIMES hopes it will be
carefully preserved for future reference,
especially by township Boards of Health
In behalf of the readers of the TIMES,
We thank the DR. for his plain, sensible
treatment of this question, in which