INFECTION AND CONTAGION

Categories: Infectious Diseases

These words are often used in such a way that a
wrong impression is made. A disease may be infectious but not contagious.

Malaria is an instance. Infection means an ability to enter the body from

any source, wind, water, food or other persons and produce a

characteristic disease. The agency doing this is known as a germ.

Contagion is properly a poisoning of one individual from contact with a

diseased individual in some way kn wn or unknown. It may be conveyed

indirectly through clothes, etc., or other person; but always comes from

some person sick with the same disease. Diseases may be both infectious

and contagious. Nearly all the epidemic diseases of infancy are both

infectious and contagious and accompanied by fever. In nursing children,

suffering from infectious diseases the mother or nurse should avoid their

breath and handle them as little as possible. All secretion from bowels

and kidneys should fall in a vessel containing a disinfecting solution of

Copperas, bichloride of mercury, etc., and should be emptied into the

sewer or buried. Following are the solutions as made. Copperas:--Put a

lump as big as a walnut in the chamber with one-half pint of water, to

receive feces, urine, sputum and vomited matter from infectious and

contagious patients.



2. Solution of chlorinated soda, four fluid ounces; water ten ounces,

useful for hands and dishes, not silverware. Dissolve eight corrosive

sublimate tablets, also called bichloride, in a gallon of water. This is

used to disinfect floors, woodwork, rubber, and leather, but not metal

parts. Great care must be taken to have the hands washed after handling

such a patient, so as not to infect the food, eyes, mouth, or any small

skin sores.