South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-03-25

A new and most interesting limo
walton in the method of preventing
the spread of infectious and contaS-
ious diseases has been recently in
troduced in Chicago hospital
which makes a specially of such
cases. 1t is simply carrying still
further Il system which has been
used in the operating room-name-
ly. that of having all the nurses and
doctors wear small white gauge
masks over the nose and mouth
In the operating room this was
done to prevent any possibility OF
breathing directly into the incisiOn
made for the operation, for if any
chance infection began deep in the
wound. there would he the dickens
to pay, because the inner tissues
OF the body. not having had the
aeOn-long experience of the surface
tissues in throwing off in-actions
would very easily succumb to any
infection which got in that far. This
protective system worked very well
indeed. so il occurred to an ingen-
ious physician to carry the idea
little further and take il from the
surgical into the medical field by
using the .,auZe masks in the wards
of infectious diseases.
This would protect both nurses
and patients. because, where the
same nurse has to care for patients
with different infectious diseases,
even if the various types are care
fully sifted out and put in different
rooms, there is always a possibility
of cross-infection," particularly
with those diseases whose germs
are carried by the mucous mem
brane in the throat and mouth The
nurse always scrubbed her hands
thoroughly with the best grade of
surgeons soap after attending 10
one room and before going on TO
the next, but, of course, it would
have been rather difficult as we'll as
a trifle heroic. TO have applied the
same process to the nose and throat.
This. coupled with the fact that the
spectre Of crcSs-infection was al
ways lingering in the BACKGROUND.
though the actual percentage of
cases even suspected of being so
caused was infinitesimal. led to the
adoption of these miniature gas
masks" They are made Of white
gauze and cover the nose and
mouth. When not in use they hang
i'm the vestibule outside each room,
along with a corresponding gown.
The masks are never worn twice
without sterilizing, and the results
of their use were both prompt and
gratifying. for they practically elm
mated the occasional slight attacks
OF dsphtheria. scarlet fever, etc, to
which the nurses had been subject
because OF their constant associa-
ton with such cases. III the masks
did nothing more than this. TO make
these devoted beings, the nurses.
immune 10 the attacks OF the NAL
aides they so sSillfully cure. they
certainly have been worth the ex-
pertinent.
From the point OF view Of pro
tecting the patient. the masks are
most useful because. il was quite
possible for a nurse 10 become com.
pleteIv immunized by repeated ex-
posure to some disease like diph-
iberia. for instance. and yet 10 have
large quantities OF the germs still
in the mucous membrane, thereby
turning her into a perfectly unin-
territorial ard unwitting. but never
theless active. carrier OF the disease.
or she might breathe in a few
germs which would not infect her.
but might carry the infection 10 the
next patient This is particularly
important in the convalescent