9. TERMINAL DISINFECTION.—Terminal disinfection for influenza has no
advantage over cleaning, sunning and airing.
10. ALCOHOL.—The use of alcohol serves no preventive purpose.
11. SPRAYS AND GARGLES.—Sprays and gargles do not protect the nose and
throat from infection, for the following reasons:
(a) So far as the knowledge of the committee extends, no germicide
strong enough to destroy infective organisms can be applied to the
nose and throat without at the same time injuring the mucous
membranes.
(b) Irrigation of the nose and throat to accomplish the complete
mechanical removal of the infective organism is impracticable.
(c) Their use tends to remove the protective mucus, to spread the
infection and to increase the liability of actual entrance of the
infective organisms.
(d) Their domestic use is liable to lead in families to a common
employment of the same utensils.
(e) The futility of sprays and gargles has been demonstrated with
respect to certain known organisms such as the diphtheria bacillus and
the meningococcus.
MISCELLANEOUS CONSIDERATIONS.
1. Colleges, asylums and similar establishments may with advantage
enforce rigid institutional quarantine against the outside world, if
they begin in the early stage of an epidemic, provided they are so
located and conducted as to render the procedure reasonably likely to be
effective, even temporarily; for even temporary success will postpone
the appearance of the disease, if it appears at all, to a time when the
patients will be more likely to be able to have adequate medical and
nursing care.
2. The recommended measures for control, even if they do not accomplish
the desired end, should at least be instrumental in distributing the
epidemic over a longer period of time, which in itself is highly
desirable.
3. The statistics of the disease and the keeping of proper records are
extremely important. The lack of knowledge regarding innumerable factors
in reference to the disease makes all the more desirable complete case
records, etc.
4. The committee wishes to emphasize the need for the complete
statistical study of the collected data on the mortality, morbidity,
case fatality, duration, economic aspects, and therapeutics of the
disease. Through the collection of the facts in a uniform manner, and
through the analysis of such tabulated data, especially mathematical
graduation, and testing and study of the figures, important
contributions to the natural history and typical characters of the
disease may be expected. General principles as to the etiology, fatality
and practical management of influenza may follow from the extensive
survey of the epidemic in the statistical laboratory as well as from the
intensive bedside observation of single cases of the disease.
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