Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1905-09-23
TO PREVENT D|PHTHER|A
County Board Of Health Passes
Set Of Stringent Rules.
FEAR EPIDEMIC OF CONTAGlON
Several Cases Known to Be In the
City and County Valuable Sug-
gestions For the Sick Room.

&~OC~~%r
At o meeting of the board of health
Friday afternoon it decided to take
immediate steps to prevent what is
considered a threatened epidemic Of
dyptheria in this city. and the physi-
clans drew mp set Of regulations to
govern the action of physicians. and
also outlined number Of suggestions
for the guidance OF those who NAV
be unfortunate enough to have the con-
tagion in the family. copy of the
regulations will be sent to each ply
stefan aud school teacher in the conn
ty, and il is intimated that penalty
will attach to any failure on the part
of the physicians to comply with
the rules of the county board of health
The action of the boacrd was chiefly
due to the fact that several cases nj
dyptheria in this city and county
were not properly quarantined and al.
so the further fact that one or two
cases were not reported to the proper
bluH JibfbhtlhE tAlC GhSbOh
sry precautions against the spread Of
the oontagion in the CITY during the
past week and this situation has
aroused the board of health TO imme-
diate action. One physician stated to
The Evening World That he has per-
sonal knowledge of three cases in the
citv and several more in the county.
snd that in but enc case wss p-o-
per quarantine established The sug-
gestions TO govern the sick room pro-
muigated BIZ the board are as follows
DYPTHERIA.
The sick person should be kept in q
bright room, as far away as possible
from the living rooms. and no one
except necessary attendants should be
allowed TO enter the room.
All discharges from the patient
should be at once disinfectsd, or de-
stroyed by fire. Instead of handke;-
chiefs, towels. napkins, use scraps Of
old linen or soft paper, which can
4Luutu4hktLN to buILtAi. II NUu uni
not have fire in the roum the things
shonld be soaked in disinfectirg
fluid. Bed linen and clothing of the
patient are often too bulky to be dis
infected in the room. These things
may be wadded CD tightly aud put
into a clean pillow slip. or else rolled
into paper parcels, after which thew
may be carried safely down stairs
and pat directly into wash boiler
and boiled. Paper bags are conYient
and safe receptucles for such infected |
articles ss vou have to carry to the
kitchen fire. The bags are cheap !
enough to burn.
The things used by the patient in
Taking food or medicine should be dis |
infected before being taken out OF |
the room, and before being used |
again. Attendants must wash their
hands whenever leaving the bedside |
and should never leave the room
without washing their hands. and if
possible the outer dress should be |
changed In moving about the house
care should be taken not TO loiter |
about or TO come into contact with |
other persons any more than can be
avoided. Remember that the infec-
tious material pacticallv all comes cut |
of the patients mouth aud nose go
that if you beep your hands and cloth
free from these discharges you viii be
pretty safe.
These simple measures of ipsolation
and dislnfection are about all that
you yourself can do TO prevent the
spread OF the infection