Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-21

HOLD
lINTS

spread calamity as the typhoid scourge Of
Ithaca should be required as an object les
son to emphasize once more the absolute
Importance of pure water. While there is
no condoning the gross and cupable care
lessness Of the water company, who took
no pains to see that the water courses
which supplied their patrons were uncon-
taminated. what of the blindness of the
great scentists-heads Of their departments
in one Of the foremost universities Of the
| land-of the splendidly equipped agricul
| tural experiment station from which bulle-
| tins sent out monthly to farmers and
| their wives. telling them how to keep things
wholesome and sanitary on the farms and
in the farm kitchens. and the wide-awake
women's club, whose departments on viii
lage improvements, civic and household
| economics were held to be models of their
| kind? 1t is the old story-the making clean
and beautiful the outside Of the cup and
| platter. while the inside was full Of deadly
| poison
The typhoid germ is no respecter of per-
| sons. Prince, poet and peasant are alike
| vulnerable. and one section of the country
| is as good as another for its malevolent
| work.
While the medical profession usually ap-
preciates the necessity of united action in
sanitary matters, the people at large, for
want of sufficient information, do not con-
slider sanitation worth their attention until
some epidemic like that at Ithaca visits
| their own homes. Typhoid, say the DOCTORS
Is invariably contracted through the mouth,
by the contamination of food or drink. The
most common channels of infection are i'm
pure water, milk, ice, oysters or vegetables
irrigated by sewage. To prevent the trans
mission Of this disease all water used by
cities which comes from rivers, lakes or
other streams should be sand-filtered be-
fore being conveyed to customers. No wa
| ter should be used from wells which are
located within 200 feet of any cesspool with
out having been first boiled. Oysters and
| Ice should be under ARCHAEOLOGICAL control.
All sewage used for irrigating garden truck
should be sterilized and no typhoid fever
patient or convalescent should be permit
ted to remain about dairy or any place
where milk or Its products are marketed.
The duration of a typhoid fever case is
| usually from three to four weeks.
Inc early symptoms are rather indefinite.
There is an extreme ill-feeling that in
creaseS as the days go by. During the first
week there is apt to be nosebleed, and be-
| tween the sixth and twelfth days of the dis
ease rash, pinhead size, with rose-head
points, followed by delirium. The run of
temperature in typhoid Is very character
| istic-a sudden descent, indicating hemor-
| rhage or perforation. When the nature of
! the trouble is established beyond a doubt,
nursing must be careful in the extreme II
| possible, put the patient In possession Of a
| large sunny room separate from other per-
sons and where all unnecessary visiting
may be prohibited. Rugs curtains and car
| PClS diC pieltldUly removed, leaving tllc
furnishing as simple as possible. When
| there Is prospect of long illness two cots,
which enable the patient to be moved from
one to another for change of position or
bedding. will be found desirable. Blankets
| are preferable to quilts, and cotton sheets
better than linen, as patients are sensitive
| to cold.
Among the precautions. to be observed by
| the nurse are, first, free ventilation. The
better the ventilation the less the chance
Of contagion. Second, prolonged contact
| with the patient should be avoided, and,
most important Of all, disinfectants must
| be thoroughly and systematically used. Or
binary soap and water cleanliness is not
| enough, but must be supplemented by So
| luton Of corrosive sublimate or iformalin.
| tient the solution should besl to 1900. For
| the rest of the body, to 5000.
All discharges require disinfection. Stock
| solution being to 20 Of formalin,i to 500
or corrosive sublfmate chloride of lime
| eight ounces to gallon.
| 1t Is we'll to place a rubber sheet under
the patient to protect the mattress, while
all rags, paper and the sweepings of the
| room should be burned at once. House flies
should be vigorously excluded not only for
| the comfort of the patient, but to prevent
| the transmission of disease
In any fever the condition of the mouth
must be carefully looked ,iafter.a Germs
grow fast on the tongue, and If the mouth
| Is not kept clean will go to thea stomach.
The mouth should be rinsed out two or
| three times day. An excellent mouth
| wash is a tincture Of myrrh and water.
eight or ten drops Of the myrrh to a glass
| OF water. Glycerine, lemon juice and water
is also effective, using tablespoonful of
| glycerine to glass Of water with enough
| lemon juice to give an acid taste.
| The use of the cold bath has been found
maryelously effective in lowering the tenn
perature in fevers, bat should not be ap-
piled without explicit directions from the
| attending physicians A cold sponge with
| equal parts OF alcohol and water will be
found very refreshing. Only little part
OF the body should be done at a time, then
| dried and covered, before exposing fresh
| surface.
/ A free supply Of water Is now regularly
administered In fevers. This should be dis
| titled or boiled or may be mineral, vichy.
| appolinaris or settler IL preferred.
MINK u known as the special diet for