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13
It is worth attempting to answer the following
questions:—What is positively known of the disease?
Ought the reiterated lessons of former experience to
be cast aside? It has been fully proved by the
fact and observation that Scarlet Fever is a disease
recognised as blood poisoning; a poison received into
the constitution giving rise after a certain time to a
well marked eruption, and a set of symptoms indicative
of efforts on the part of nature to eleminate it.
It is true that the particles of the poison have not
yet been seen by the most powerful microscope; but
persons labouring under their effects have enough of it
hanging about them in the skin and secretions, in
clothes and bedding, to infect others who come within
the range of an atmosphere charged with it.
Exact experiments are wanting to complete the
demonstration of these familiar facts; but it would not
be difficult to obtain proof of them from the hands of a
competent observer with time and money at his command.
It is indeed one of those duties that ought to
be undertaken with public money for the public good.
No public body ought to grudge the reasonable expenditure
for promoting investigations for the discovery of
methods to check the ravages of fever poisons. We
learn that by proper methods of isolation, and free
ventilation, the poison may be diluted, and by disinfection
the further progress of the disease may be arrested
from travelling beyond its first seat; but how seldom
is that efficiently carried out. There are also mechanical
means of diluting the poison: sponging, oiling, bathing
and cleansing the surface (Dr. Budd), and the removal
of excretions; perhaps also chemical means of destroying
it. Condy's liquid undoubtedly destroys the
power of fever poisons. Carbolic acid has its influence,
but hitherto we have relied too implicitly upon medical
treatment, which as far as the administration of drugs