262 CONTAGIOUS DISEASE GERMS. 



All food and drink which has been in the sick room 

 for some time should be consumed by no one but the 

 sick or by the attendants, and clothes should not be 

 taken away until they have undergone disinfection, 

 or should be carefully removed only for this purpose. 

 Air which escapes from the sick should not be allowed 

 to pass into rooms where healthy persons are living, 

 without being subjected to the influence of some dis- 

 infecting agent, or at least largely diluted by admix- 

 ture with fresh air. 



It has been already shown that contagious disease 

 germs are so minute that they may be supported by 

 the air and carried long distances suspended in it in 

 a living state. The breath of the sick person, is, 

 there is reason to think, in many cases loaded with 

 contagious germs ; and there is little doubt that the 

 cutaneous exhalation contains them. It .is, therefore, 

 of the utmost importance that means should be taken 

 to destroy these particles before they can leave the 

 neighbourhood of the sick person or the sick room. 

 At the same time it is certain that of healthy persons 

 exposed to the influence of these germs, by far the 

 great majority will escape infection. And observa- 

 tion and experience justify the conclusion that nurses 

 and attendants really run little risk of contracting 

 contagious fevers from the patient, unless they are 

 themselves out of health. A healthy nurse who takes 

 the ordinary precautions for keeping herself in good 

 health, may be continually exposed to contagion, and 



