Media by which the Catching Diseases are Communicated. - Means for Preventing Infection and Contagion. - Directions for the Sick Room and Attendants. - Precautions to be used by Doctors - Proper Disinfection of Rooms after Illness. - Methods of Using Chloride of Lime, Carbolic Acid, and Condy's Fluid.

Infectious and Contagious (catching) diseases

Scarlet fever, Diphtheria, Small-pox, Measles, Typhus, Chicken-pox, Relapsing fever, Puerperal fever, Whooping-cough, Mumps, &e., - are communicated principally by the following media: -

1. The breath.

2. The secretions and excretions.

a. The saliva.

b. The perspiration.

c. The urine.

d. The evacuations from the bowels.

e. The sputa.

3. The skin of the body; especially the dead peeling skin and the powdered skin which adhere to clothing, and are wafted about in the air.

4. The body-clothes.

5. The bed-clothing.

6. Discharges from eruptions, abscesses, wounds, etc,

7. The hair.

8. The walls, floors, and furniture of apartments.

It is probable that no infectious or contagious disease would spread if all these media were promptly disinfected.

The difficulty lies, not in disinfecting any one of them when it is specially submitted to us, for that is easily done, but in keeping up such a rigorous system of disinfection around the sick person that none of these media shall escape disinfection; for common sense tells us that if only one escapes, the protection from infection may be lost.

It is evident that the disinfection of the secretions and excretions must be performed as they leave the body, so that the air may not be infected during their passage. For this reason the disinfectants put into spitting pots, urinals and bed pans should be Volatile, like Chlorine and Carbolic acid, so that an atmosphere of the disinfectant may rise from the utensils while they are being used. I, therefore, advise for these purposes Chloride of Lime and water, or Carbolic acid; and they have the advantage of continuing to give off their disinfecting principles after the contents of the utensils are thrown down the drains.

For most other purposes Condy's fluid will suffice; it is clean, free from offensive taste or smell, and not poisonous. It is not volatile, but it disinfects whatever comes in contact with it. The air of a room, therefore, may be disinfected to a great extent by freely dispersing Condy's fluid with a spray producer. Clothes can be disinfected by being soaked in it. The skin can be disinfected by being washed with it. Sponges can be disinfected by being soaked in it; but sponges are dangerous spreaders of infection, and it is much better to use pieces of cloth, which can be burnt, and in cleansing wounds to irrigate them with a syringe. Linen and other washing materials can be disinfected by boiling, but they should be previously put into Condy's fluid or diluted Carbolic acid directly they are done with, and kept in it for about two hours, otherwise they may spread infection before they are boiled. For all these purposes Carbolic acid is most efficient, but its smell is objectionable.

Whatever is not susceptible of boiling, but will bear baking, can be disinfected by being submitted to a temperature of from 212° to 250° in an oven, and for greater safety a little carbolic acid should be put into the oven at the time.