COMMON COMMUNICABLE DISEASES. 



mouth, indirectly through articles used in the 

 sick room, such as infected dishes, books, toys, 

 spoons, or other similar articles, or the infection 

 may be breathed in. The germs are found in 

 the discharges from the nose and throat. The Intubation 

 nurse must be careful to avoid having the Tracheotomy, 

 patient cough in her face, as particles of mem- 

 brane dislodged from the throat are a fruitful 

 source of danger, especially so to both physi- 

 cians and nurses during operations on the 

 throat (tracheotomy and intubation of the 

 lar3aix), for the relief of patients suffering 

 from this dread disease. 



While the seat of invasion in diphtheria is 

 usually the throat, other parts of the body 

 suffer also, which is always the state of affairs 

 in severe germ diseases. A common sore 

 throat forms a good camping ground for the 

 diphtheria bacillus and the deadly work is 

 accomplished very rapidly in many instances. 

 Patients sometimes die before their danger is 

 realized by the uninitiated. Suffocation, heart 

 failure and exhaustion are immediate causes 

 of sudden death. The nurse must be ever on 

 the alert for symptoms of approaching danger 

 from any of these sources. 



Disinfect all discharges from the throat and Disinfect and 

 nose; all bed linen, towels, handkerchiefs, Ventilate. 

 spoons, dishes and all sick-room appliances with 

 boiling water, or with hot carbolic acid solution 

 8i 



