INFECTION AND CONTAGION.--These words are often used in such a way that a
wrong impression is made. A disease may be infectious but not contagious.
Malaria is an instance. Infection means an ability to enter the body from
any source, wind, water, food or other persons and produce a
characteristic disease. The agency doing this is known as a germ.
Contagion is properly a poisoning of one individual from contact with a
diseased individual in some way known or unknown. It may be conveyed
indirectly through clothes, etc., or other person; but always comes from
some person sick with the same disease. Diseases may be both infectious
and contagious. Nearly all the epidemic diseases of infancy are both
infectious and contagious and accompanied by fever. In nursing children,
suffering from infectious diseases the mother or nurse should avoid their
breath and handle them as little as possible. All secretion from bowels
and kidneys should fall in a vessel containing a disinfecting solution of
Copperas, bichloride of mercury, etc., and should be emptied into the
sewer or buried. Following are the solutions as made. Copperas:--Put a
lump as big as a walnut in the chamber with one-half pint of water, to
receive feces, urine, sputum and vomited matter from infectious and
contagious patients.

2. Solution of chlorinated soda, four fluid ounces; water ten ounces,
useful for hands and dishes, not silverware. Dissolve eight corrosive
sublimate tablets, also called bichloride, in a gallon of water. This is
used to disinfect floors, woodwork, rubber, and leather, but not metal
parts. Great care must be taken to have the hands washed after handling
such a patient, so as not to infect the food, eyes, mouth, or any small
skin sores.

[INFECTIOUS DISEASES 167]

Diet in Infectious Diseases.--Foods that can be used: Milk, milk-water,
milk and lime-water, Mellin's food, malted milk, imperial granum, albumin
water, rice water, oatmeal water, barley water, egg (white part), and
barley water, arrowroot water, whey, whey and cream mixture, cream and
rice mixture, beef tea, beef extract, mutton broth, beef juice. Chewing
broiled steak and only swallowing the juice, dry toast and soft boiled
eggs, milk toast, dried beef broth, soups, rice, cornstarch, tapioca, etc.
The diet must not consist of solid food in any severe case of fever. Small
quantities of cold drinks can be given, frequently repeated if there is no
vomiting. Frequent washing with tep