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13
From the privy or the drain the poison often soaks into the
well and infects the drinking water. This last, when it happens,
is of all forms of fever poisoning the most deadly.
In these various way, the infection proceeding from the bowel
discharges often spreads the disease far and wide. The one great
thing to aim at, therefore, is to disinfect these discharges on their
very escape from the body, and before they are carried from the
sick room. This may be perfectly done by the use of disinfectants.
One of the best is made of green copperas. This substance
is very cheap, and may be had everywhere. A pound and a half
of green copperas to a gallon of water is proper strength. A teacupful
of this liquid put into the nightpan every time before it is
lined by the patient renders the bowel discharge perfectly harmless.
To disinfect the bed and body linen and bedding generally,
MacDougall's Powder is more convenient. This powder should
be sprinkled by means of dredger on soiled spots on the
linen, and about the room to purify the air. All articles of bed
and body linen should be plunged immediately on their removal
from the bed into a bucket of water containing a tablespoonful of
chloride of zinc or McDougall's Powder, and should be boiled before
being washed. The privy or closet, and all drains communicating
with it, should be flushed twice daily with the green
copperas liquid or carbolic acid diluted with water.
In the event of death, the body should be placed as soon as
possible in a coffin, surrounded with charcoal sprinkled with
carbolic acid. Early burial is on all accounts desirable. In
towns and villages where the fever is already prevalent the last
rule should be put in force for all houses, whether there be fever
in them or not, and for all public drains. As the hands of those
attending on the sick often become unavoidably soiled by the discharge-
from the bowels, they should be frequently washed. The
sick room should be kept well ventilated day and night. The
greatest possible care should be taken with regard to the drinking
water. Where there is the slightest risk of its having become
tainted with fever poison, water should be got from a pure source,
and should be boiled and filtered before being drunk.
Immediately after the illness is over, whether ending in death
or recovery, the dresses worn by the nurses should be washed or
destroyed, and the bed and room occupied by the sick should be
thoroughly disinfected. These are golden rules; where they are