The Daily Telegraph TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1882.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3501, 26 September 1882, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1882.

The instructions concerning the measures to be adopted in preventing the spread of scarlet fever, diphtheria, Bmall-pox, &c, issued by the Board of Health of Ontario, Canada, were published in the " National Board of Health Bulletin " at Washington, United States, in June last, and have been deemed of sufficient importance by the Government of New Zealand to be reproduced in tbe last Gazette to band. In these days, when men travel from one end of the earth to the other in the course of a few weeks, it is more tban ever desirable to guard against contagious and infectious diseases. However much opinions may differ on the causes of the sickness that prevailed last summer in Napier, it is tolerably certain that one of the forms of disease that manifested itself here was introduced by some visitors from the Auckland province. The communicable nature of diseaees is only too well known, and on the sanitary condition of a town it all depends whether a disease once introduced will ever be thoroughly eradicated. Concerning scarlet tever, diphtheria, small-pox, &c, the Ontario Board of Health in its instructions states that these diseases are spread by means of infectious particles going from person to person, and can be stopped if care and systematic means are taken to destroy the diseasegerms, and to prevent their being carried from one person to another. Those partß of the body which are breeding places of the contagious particles give off the poison in the greatest amount; for example: In scarlet fever, the mouth, throat, nasal passages, and skin; in diphtheria, the mouth, throat, and nasal passages; in small-pox, the pustules, chiefly of the skin ; in measles, the skin and air-passages; in whooping-cough, the air-passages ; in typhoid fever and cholera, the discharges from the bowels. The portions of the body thrown off, and containing the contagion, may pass into the air, or find their way iuto the water or food, and in this way be introduced by breathing, drinking, or eating, or through broken surfaces of the body. It will be seen that the first five diseases

in the above enumeration are very readily communicable through the atmosphere. The contagion of the first three remains virulent for a great length of time and at great distances, and they are also very serious in their effects. The "instructions" then set forth "what the general public may reasonably expect from those afflicted with contagious diseases, from their friends, and from the municipal authorities ;" " the conduct of i sick room and attendants ;" " the disinfection of dwellings and premises after recovery or death." Under the heading " Precautions for well people to avoid scarlet fever, diphtheria, and small-pox," we find the following useful instructions : —" Avoid exposure to special contagion of the disease : more danger for children tban for adults. ]">o not, therefore, let a child go near r case. Do not permit any person or thing, dog, cat, or other animal, playtning, letters, &c, to come direct from a case of these diseases to a child, unless previously disinfected under competent supervision. Ifyou do visit a case, bathe yourself, especially bands, face, aud hair, in a disinfectant solution, and change and disinfect your clothing before you go where there is a child, bee that your residence, premises, &c, are kept clean and dry; that the sewer-connec-tions are well trapped and drains well ventilated. Never allow passages from persons sick with the disease to be placed in water-closets or privies Give special attention to purity of milk-supply. Do not allow a child to ride in any vehicle where there is suspicion of infected persons having travelled. Avoid exposure to wind, and cold dry air. Do not wear or handle clothing worn by a person during sickness or convalescence from these diseases. Beware of any person" who has a sore throat or running at nose. Do not kks or take the breath of such a person. Do not drink from the same cup or put pen in your mouth. In the case of all these diseases remember that the contagion may be stored up from oue season to another, if not destroyed. Do not let it be so stored, and see that your children do not visit a house where one of these diseases has been, even though some months have since elapsed, unless you know the house, clothes, &c, have been thoroughly disinfected, In the case of emall-pox too much care cannot be taken to see that every person who has not been vaccinated within seven years be vaccinated or re-vaccinated. If vaccination has " taken well " a few years before, this is, if anything, an extra reason for re-vaccination. Persons who have had small-pox may take it again. With regard to all these diseases remember that a mild form in one person may originate a severe form in another. In connection with tbi<? subject it should be remembered that too much attention cannot be paid to surroundings in general, such as drainage, ventilation, food, warmth, &c. In cities, where proper attention to the trapping of all wastepipes leading to sewers is too frequently taken for granted, examine carefully into arraugement and ventilation of drains; ascertain whether, in consequence of attention not having been duly paid to the trapping of overflow, lavatory, and every other waste pipe, gases are not being conveyed in sundry ingenious ways into the various apartments they were presumed to be excluded from ; that the plumbers have not, in other words, succeeded in ventilating the house drains, and therefore, of couree, the .ewers ioto the bed-rooms.