THE VENEREAL DISEASES 79 



consequences to the reproductive organs are quite - 

 as grave as when produced in any other manner. 



No other epidemic occurring in the hospital is so 

 difficult to control as the cases of vulvovaginitis in 

 little girls. These children should be isolated, and 

 it seems to be the consensus of opinion that all such 

 patients should wear a vulvar pad made of absorbent 

 cotton held in place by a T bandage, both being 

 changed at least every six hours and burned im- 

 mediately upon removal, as experiments have proved 

 that the ordinary laundry process supplemented 

 by sterilization will not render diapers safe to use 

 upon a healthy child. 



So grave and so persistent are these epidemics in 

 hospitals and other pubUc institutions where large 

 numbers of children are congregated that some hospi- 

 tals make it an inflexible rule to burn all diapers from 

 non-infected as well as infected children, that there 

 may be no possible danger from that source. 



The use of common bath tubs and water-closet 

 seats are two very easy methods of carrying infection 

 unless both are scalded and disinfected with chemi- 

 cals several times daily. 



It often happens that wards where such epidemics 

 have occurred are emptied of patients, fumigated with 

 formalin, and beds, furniture, floors, walls, and wood- 



