Volume 2

Health lectures for the people.

Date:
1883-1892
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Health lectures for the people. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    228/600 (page 18)
    in the particles of skin which are thrown off from the surface of the body, frequent washing with an antiseptic solution and the inunction of carbolic oil are probably the best means which can be employed. The patient must, of course, be confined to the sick chamber until all risk of infection is passed. The medical attendant is naturally the person who decides this point, and in forming an opinion it is always right to err on the side of caution, and to keep the patient strictly isolated for several days longer than may at first sight appear absolutely necessary. After the patient leaves the sick-room, it, together with all articles of clothing, furniture, bedding, &c., must, of course, be thoroughly disinfected. Books, playthings, &c., which have been in contact with the patient, must be either disinfected or destroyed But to go fully into this and other points would require much more time than we have at our disposal this evening. I cannot, however, leave this part of the subject without re- minding you that we citizens of Edinburgh are fortunate in this respect, that we have only to make a request to the local health authority, and we can have our houses, rooms, furniture, bedding, &c., disinfected for us. I would strongly advise any of you who are so unfortunate as to have cases of infectious disease in your houses, to avail yourselves of this assistance. You must remember that to carry out the process of disinfection thoroughly and satis- factorily, special knowledge and skill (which few private persons, unless they are medical men, possess) are required. If the assist- ance of the proper authorities were always called in, we should not hear complaints, as we now not unfrequently do, of bedding and articles of clothing, which have been used by persons suffering from infectious disease—say scarlet fever—being aired and shaken close to the windows of a neighbouring dwelling—a most danger- ous proceeding, which cannot be too severely condemned. 3. The third great means of preventing and arresting the spread of infectious disease is the careful attention to cleanliness, drainage, and all other sanitary matters by each individual for himself.