COMMON COMMUNICABLE DISEASES. 
times die before their danger is realized by the 
uninitiated. Suffocation, heart failure and ex¬ 
haustion are immediate causes of sudden deaths. 
The nurse must be ever on the alert for symp¬ 
toms of approaching danger from any of these 
sources. 
Disinfect all discharges from the throat and 
nose. Observe carefully the precautions with 
regard to patient and room, sunshine, ventila¬ 
tion and disinfection at the close of case. Be 
careful to protect your patients from any possi¬ 
bility of drafts striking them. Use a screen 
about the bed. No patient’s bed should be so 
placed as to be in a current of'an*. A room prop¬ 
erly ventilated is not “drafty” of necessity. 
Membranous croup and whooping cough are 
contracted in the same way as diphtheria, and 
are spread by the same means. Moist air is ne¬ 
cessary in the patient’s room in most cases of 
diphtheria, whooping cough and croup to relieve 
the throat symptoms. 
INFLUENZA OR LA GRIPPE. 
The bacillus of this disease finds an entrance 
to the system through the respiratory tract. 
Sources of infection are the discharges from the 
throat and nose, which should always be disin¬ 
fected. 
There are several forms of “la grippe,” notably 
the catarrhal, bronchial and intestinal forms. In 
the intestinal form, some physicians advise disin¬ 
fection of the evacuations also. This is one of 
the few germ diseases which one is apt to con¬ 
tract very frequently. No number of attacks will 
afford immunity. Epidemics are common, 
5i 
Disinfect and 
Ventilate. 
Membranous 
Croup and 
Whooping 
Cough. 
Various 
Forms. 
