Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-07-14
OMAHA NOT IMMUNE
FROM THE SCOURGE
Doctors Say the City Needs to
Be Cleaned Up and Kept
Clean to Avoid Epidemic.
TREATING PoLIoMPEL1TAs

case OF lnIahtile paralysis, saiu ONO
Of Omaha's leading physicians to The
Bee, but we are not immune. Con-
ditions that exist here are such as to
invite the disease, and we may have
recurrence Of the epidemic that pre-
vailed only few years ago. ] do
not wish to brighten anyone, but I'm
less we clean up and keep clean we
are taking the greatest Of risks.
Garbage Is not properly cared for
In Omaha, nor is stable offal. The
city is lax In allowing this condition
to prevail, and the people are careless
In creating 1t. Doctors are negligent,
In not reporting cases Of infectious
disease and the quarantine regula-
tons are poorly observed. We evil
IDENTIFY learned very little from our
experience with scarlet fever last
spring" VEIL
Precautions Against Disease.
The doctor gave some suggestions
- to the disease In the way Of pre-
caution and possible prevention. He
ssid
Put ali patients In clean, bare, well
ventilated rooms, screened to keep
out flies and other insects.
THE rest Of the family should be
kept at home as much as possible.
"Disinfection should be thoroughly
carried out. For washing hands and
clothing add two teaspoonsful of car
bolic acid, % per cent, to one quart OF
water, or two teaspoonsfnl OF forma-
lin to one quart OF water. .
when the nurse leaves the sick
room she should Immediately wash
and disinfect her hands. She also
should wear an overgarment and re-
move same on leaving the sick
room.
"All clothes and bed clothes be-
fore removed from sick room and all
washable clothes before removed
from the premises should be soaked
for an hour In the carbolic or forma-
lin solution.
"All eating utensils or remnants Of
food used by the patients should be
boiled before being taken from the
sick room.
"All milk bottles received at the
house should be oiled before being
returned to the dairy.
Family Must Be Careful.
"The remainder of the family
should take frequent baths and use
hydrogen peroxide, one teaspoonful
to a glass Of water, as a gargle and
nose spray.
"The house should be kept as free
from dust as possible by sprinkling
the floor before sweeping and by using
cloths for busting. "a
"All dogs, cats or other pets should
be kept out of the sick room. All
instances OF acute paralysis in domes-
tic animals about the house or the
farm should be carefully investigated
and all such affected animals should
be promptly killed and the quarters
in which they were kept carefully dis
infected. ~
Surrounding premises should be
sprinkled daily. "a S9'-D ~, =
Patients should be kept isolated
until the placard has been removed
and the house has been thoroughly
fumigated.
Surrounding premises should be
sprinkled daily.
THE above instructions should be
carried out not only for infantile or
spinal paralysis, but for contagious
and infectious diseases. The use of
deodorants Is useless and objection
able"
Take No Chances.
Other Omaha physicians discussed
the situation in the east and several
suggested courses to be pursued by
lowans in guarding against infection.
One said: ..... VIZ
If child has fever that may be
indigestion or summer intestinal
trouble, or any less harmful or con-
tagious disease, he should be isolated
at once and physician called. 1t Is
not always necessary to do this, as a
mother generally knows how to treat
a minor illness OF her baby, but in
view of the epidemic it Is the only
safe way. In few days the physi-
Sidh Suh uSSCltdhl WuStuCI tUC ALL
ment is infantile paralysis and steps
can be taken accordingly. The par
alysis shows up within two or three
days after the fever develops. Pre-
vious to that the disease seems to be
greatly like a number of other chill
dren's diseases. That is why it is
difficult to control"
Not a New Disease.
"lnfatile paralysis is not a new dis
ease. Well informed physicians have
known about it for many years. 1t
does not seem to be more prevalent
now than formerly, but that may
seem to be true merely because we
are making greater efforts to combat
1t. Scientists are working day and
night to discover the origin and cure
Of the disease. There is no cure now.
All we can do Is isolate and prevent
the spread Of the plague.
"A great many Of the cripples you
see these days with yithered limb