CONTAGIOUS DISEASES 297 



If the disease is one in which infection from ex- 

 pectoration is possible, all sputum should be deposited 

 where it can be soon destroyed. There have been 

 invented small covered spittoons holding paper cups 

 that are excellent in such cases. The expectoration 

 is deposited in the paper cup, which should be 

 renewed daily or oftener, the old one being im- 

 mediately destroyed by burning. If an ordinary spit- 

 toon is used, it should contain a five per cent solution 

 of carbolic acid (three teaspoonfuls to a glass of 

 water), and should be washed daily in boiling hot 

 water. There are also patent pocket flasks that 

 patients may carry with them when away from home, 

 but these must be frequently disinfected. When a 

 patient is coughing, small particles of expectoration 

 often fly into the face of an attendant or into the 

 surrounding atmosphere. A paper napkin or cloths 

 that may be immediately burned should be held in 

 front of the mouth to prevent the disease from spread- 

 ing in this way. As expectoration dries very quickly 

 on cloths, they should not be carried in the pockets, 

 but should be burned at once. 



In typhoid fever, the bed-pan and similar articles 

 should contain a solution of carbolic acid. These 

 should also be frequently cleansed in boiling water. 

 This precaution is likewise a good one to take in 

 diseases where the infecting organism comes from the 

 surface of the body. All clothing used by the patients 

 or those attending them should be handled by itself 



