All cups, glasses, spoons, etc., used in the sick room, should at once on removal from the room, be washed in the five per cent solution of carbolic acid and afterwards in hot water, before being used by any other person.

Food and drink that have been in the sick room should be disinfected and buried.  It should not be put in the swill barrel.

Perfect cleanliness of nurses and attendants should be enjoined and secured.  As the hands of the nurses of necessity become frequently contaminated by the contagion of the disease, a good supply of towels and basins, one containing a two per cent solution of carbolic acid (two and three-fifths ounces of carbolic acid to a gallon of water) and another for plain soap and water should always be at hand and freely used.

Persons recovering from scarlet fever, so long as any scaling or peeling of the skin, soreness of the eyes or air passages or symptoms of dropsy remain, should be considered dangerous, and, therefore, should not attend school, church or any public assembly or use any public conveyance.  In a house infected with scarlet fever, a temporary disinfection after apparent recovery may be made, so as to release from isolation the members of the household who have not had the disease.

Diet and Nursing.—­Food should be given every two to four hours.  Only water can be given as long as there is nausea and vomiting, and sometimes not even that.  After they have stopped you can give milk and water and then milk.  You should give it to a child every two to three hours, about one-fourth of a glass full and warm if possible.  A child can take at least one quart in twenty-four hours.  Watch the stomach and bowels for bad symptoms; if necessary you can put in one teaspoonful of lime water after the milk has been heated.  If the child will not take milk, use one of the prepared foods.  Mellins’ malted milk, Borden’s malted milk, peptonized milk, Imperial Granum, and follow the directions on the bottle.  The different food waters mentioned above are to use when milk and other food preparations cannot be given.  Albumen (white of an egg and water, not whipped) can be given and always cold.  Cold milk also tastes better.

[174 Mothers’ remedies]

During the Sickness, etc.—­The linen, bedding, etc., of the patient should be put into a one to five-thousand solution of corrosive sublimate (you can buy that strength tablet) before being boiled, dried and aired in the sun.  The sick room must be kept well ventilated, but no drafts should be allowed to go over the patient.  The temperature is better at 68 degrees F. The patient should be kept in bed during all the feverish stage and during the scaling stage also.

Care must be taken lest the patient take cold.  During this time there is a great danger of ear and kidney trouble.  It would be safer to keep the patient in bed until the peeling is done.  Children are naturally lively, risky, and a little careless.  To keep the scales from flying you can grease the patient with cold cream, vaselin, lard, etc.  This will also help to ease the itching.  The peeling is aided by bathing the patient every day with warm, soapy water.