THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



)CTOBER 1, 1915. 



tine doctors frequently wear rubber gloves, ami in rainy weather 

 they don a rubber uniform from head to foot. 



The typhus patients and the "contacts" are promptly removed, 

 while the ship remains at quarantine for fumigation. The sick 

 go to a ward or island set apart for the treatment of infectious 

 diseases, and the "detains" are segregated elsewhere after under- 

 going an anti-parasitic hath. Their clothing is sterilized by 

 steam. Each "contact" has a brass identification disc, hung upon 

 a rubber cord or necklet, and a similarly numbered tag is fastened 

 to his clothing while undergoing sterilization. .\11 quarantine 

 employees who handle patients and "contacts" arc equipped with 

 rubber gloves. Nurses and orderlies engaged in the sanitation 

 of "contacts" and the treatment of patients wear ruliber .gloves 

 and aprons, and the nurses' hair, 

 tightly dressed, is covered liy vu!.- 

 l)cr caps. 



In the disinfecting chamlnr tlu 

 big iron doors are hermeticall> 

 sealed by means of thick rulibcr 

 gaskets, and in all of the detention 

 rooms, which must be fumigated, all 

 ventilators have rubber gaskets 

 the windows and doors are jiro- 

 vided with rubber stripping so tliat 

 these openings may be made lioth 

 air-tight and vermin-proof. Indeed, 

 this manner of sealing all spaces is 

 uniform, so that every chamber at 

 quarantine can be fumigated from 

 time to time. We find the most 

 extensive use of rubber in con- 

 tagious disease wards. At Swin- 

 burne Island, New York, a thor- 

 oughly typical ward is providcl 

 with rubber flooring, pillow slips "i 

 rubber, rubber sheeting between the 

 patients and the mattresses, ,_rubber 

 in various forms in the medic; 

 cases, while the attendants wear 

 rubber-soled shoes to deaden sound. 

 The modeling of all corners, com- 

 bined with the wide use of rubber, 

 makes it possible, after the removal 

 of patients, to thoroughly fumigate 

 and then to wash down the walls, 

 ceiling, etc., by means of a hose 

 turned loose freely. If any of the 



sufferers die, they are wrapped in rubber winding sheets before 

 removal to the crematory for final disposition. Where vessels are 

 disinfected after arrival with diseased patients, power pumps arc 

 employed for extensive work, and these use rubber hose having 

 hard rubber nozzles of a duplex type, by means of which either 

 a straight stream or a spray may be discharged. 



The attendants in the bathrooms where the "contacts" are 

 given an anti-parasitic bath, all wear rubber boots in addition 

 to the rubber coats and gloves which we have already described. 

 Of course, the usual rubber utensils, commonly found in hos- 

 pitals, such as hot water bags, ice bags, tubing, rubber corks, etc., 

 arc abundantly in evidence. And in the bacteriological laboratory, 

 where the specialists examine samples brought them from the 

 incoming ships, rubber in many forms serves as nothing else 

 will. One of our illustrations shows a sample case for testing 

 the effects of a disinfectant on certain germs. This, when sealed, 

 is covered with a close-fitting rubber cap. 



But the quarantine service, both federal and state, is not alone 

 concerned with keeping out diseased or germ-bearing persons. 

 Our national welfare is very much involved in the proper ad- 

 ministration of animal quarantine, both interstate and betw.-.!en 

 this country and foreign ones. This is not confined alone to 



living animals but to many products .f -.he animal industry, 

 such as hides, hair, wool, horn, etc. These can all carry 

 disease-breeding germs, and where tlierc is the slightest 

 chance of infection they are not admitted to the country nor 

 allowed to be moved from state to state until properly disinfected. 

 This disinfecting takes a variety of forms, depending upon the 

 nature of the material, but where the germ-killing spray is 

 used the operatives commonly wear rulilier boots and rubber 

 hose is well-nigh indispensable in the proper distribution of 



the disinfectant. Cattle cars, stockyards, 

 when necessary, and one of the comrr 

 slacked lime. 



Perhaps to tlic rubber in<Uislrv the most 



etc., are thus treated 

 ■nest disinfectants is 



slry the most mteresting quarantme 

 campaign wa^ that inaugurated last 

 .\(]vemi)er and only recently brought 

 lo a successful conclusion. We refer 

 1' i the 1)attle here waged against the 

 foot-and-mouth disease. The last 

 previous epidemic was in 1908, but 

 I be widespread recrudescence of this 

 old world animal malady late last 

 year was marked with a good deal 

 of virulence. The District of Colum- 

 bia and 22 states developed cases in 

 varying numbers, but the disease 

 was most serious in IS of the states 

 and called f'.ir the promptest sort 

 of action on the part of the state 

 (|uarantine officers. It should be 

 of interest to know that the origin 

 of the outbreaks of foot-and-mouth 

 disease in 1902 and 1908 were defi- 

 nitely traced to imported vaccine 

 virus used on calves in the propa- 

 gation of virus for use in vaccinat- 

 ing against smallpox. 



As soon as the disease appeared 

 last November, the state and fed- 

 eral authorities immediately organ- 

 ized their quarantine forces, and an 

 army of fully 1,000 inspectors was 

 detailed to deal with the epidemic 

 radically. This meant that every 

 farm and every .stockyard had to 

 be visited and not a single head of 

 cattle overlooked in the search for 

 traces of the malady. The equip- 

 ping of this force made a good-sized demand upon rubber goods 

 dealers. Each inspector had to be clothed in rubber from tip 

 to toe. His outfit consisted of a rubber hat, a rubber coat, 

 rubber gloves, and rubber boots reaching well above the knees. 

 In addition to this he was provided with ;-. white rublurr fumi- 

 .gating cape. 



The inspectors were called upon to examine the mouths and 

 the hoofs of all beef cattle, and to see to the prompt disposition 

 of the diseased and to properly disinfect the other animals and 

 their quarters. It was not so much fear of personal consequences 

 from the malady as to facilitate their washing down afterwards 

 that the inspectors were clothed in outer garments of rubber. 

 Each man had a tin basin and a sponge and his rubber clothing 

 was liberally wiped off with a germicide bath of bichloride of 

 mercury. But this superficial treatment wa^ not enough to meet 

 the exacting official requirements. 



Lest the underside of the rubber overcoat might have become 

 infected, it was necessary to kill any germs lurking there and at 

 the same time to disinfect the clothing lying closer to the body 

 of the inspector. As our illustration shows, the white rubber 

 fumigating cape fastens snugly about the neck and is ample 

 enough to completely cover the w^earer. By spreading mit the 



TE Rubber Fumig.mi.vg Cape ix Service. 



