The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1912-10-04
PREVENTION OF DIPHTHERIA.
Circular Issued By The State Board Of
Health OF Kentucky.


To the health Officials, Physicians and
People of Kentucky:
The unusual prevalence of diphtheria
in many sections of the State makes it
the duty of this Board to again call at
tention to the best known methods of
preventing the occurrence and spread of
this disease.
l. Diphtheria is both contagious and
infectious, and is distinctly a proven
table disease, being easily limited to
the first case or cases. When it gets
away from the primary cases and
makes its escape upon the community
somebody is to blame. The sooner we
accept this as a sanitary maxim the
sooner we shall begin to do our duties
as individuals and communities.
2. On account of its frequency and
fatality this disease is of far more i'm
portance to the people of Kentucky
than smallpox, yellow fever or cholera.
3. When child has sore throat,
and especially if diphtheria is in the
neighborhood, it should be Immediately
separated from other children until a
competent physian has seen it and de-
cided whether or not it is affected with
contagious disease.
A. If diphtheria, str city isolate the
case at once, in an up stairs room if
possible, and as disconnected as practi-
cable from the living and sleeping
apartments of other children. No one
except the physician and nurse should
enter the room, and they should take
every precaution not to carry the in
lection to others.
5. The board urges the hypoder-
matte use of standard antitoxin, such
as AleXander's, in at least 5,OOO-unit
doses, as soon as the disease is recog-
nized or seriously suspected, and that
this dose should be repeated or doubled
within twelve hours unless marked i'm
provement has taken place. If case is
seen after the first twenty-four hours
use from to $4,000 units the first dose,
depending opon severity. 1t recon-
mends that immunizing doses of 1000
units be used for all children, and es-
pecially for all inexperienced relatives
acting as nurses who have been seri-
ously exposed.
6. Placard the house, and keep all
other children, all having the care of
children, and all who go where children
are, away from it. Notify the health
officer of the town or county within
twenty-four hours, as the law requires,
and he will cooperate with the physi-
clan and family to keep the disease
from spreading.
z. The discharges from the mouth
ard nose, which especially contain the
germs of the disease, should be receiv-
ed on soft cloths and burned, and other
discharges should be disinfected, and
all refuse from the sick room burned.
All utensils used in feeding the sick
should be washed separately from other
dishes, and should remain SONS time in
boiling water.
8. Disinfect all bed and body cloth
ing, and other like things, as soon as
removed, by immersion for at least six
hours in a solution of chloride of lime,
four ounces to the gallon of wat r.
They may then be wrung out and put
in the wash. Remember, however,
that no disinfectant in the occupied
sick room can do away with the neces-
sity for abundant fresh air and sun
light.
9. The isolation of the patient should
continue for ten days after all trace of
the disease has disappeared, and until
he has mad disinfecting bath and been
clad in garments which have not been
in the sick room. No person from a
honse where there is diphtheria should
be permitted to go into public assem-
blies, and no child from a house where
this disease has prevailed should be
allowed to attend school without a GER
tificate from the health officer that it
is safe to do so.
10. After complete recovery, or
death, always thoroughly disinfect the
room and its contents, preferably with
nascent formaldehyde, or where this is
not available, by burning three pounds
of sulphur, moistened with alcohol, for
each 1000 cubic feet of space, pre-
yiously stopping all openings, and
dampening the floor, bedding and cloth
ing and leaving the room tightly closed
for twelve hours. The room should
then be thoroughly ventilated, and all