Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1840-10-15
CoQnlEGa u1nIcaaions.

basked in the sunshine OF prosperity and
peace, is suddenly surprised by the des-
cent OF vast l,orrles ofsavages, or attacked
10y the more systematic but not less dread
iul besiesing army, all within the walls
ol the beleayucred place, is turbulence and
iumult; without order or regularity, each
one hurrles to aud fro for succrur, and Of
ten The torch of The midnight seeker for
hep, is more fatal to the besieged, than The :
bumb and rocket of the besieser. So
when malignant or perhaps fatal disease
makes its TupIion int, a community which
has been long blessed with concparariye
health; at first The most common dictates
OF prudence are forgotten, aud confidence
Is often lost, where success in combating
lis rarages depends upon its being main.
tanned. For a while. Terror usurps the
place OF Reason. aud where Foritude
should have reigned, there is naucht hut
confusion and dismay. Some hone for
safely in flight, aud after lime return, with
systems unacconm0ra :o.he distemrer.
cd condition Of the atmosphere, who fall
prey 10 its influence, while the more
prudent, whI had rem ned and used The
proper precautions, have perhaps escaped.
others again. who see the disease ap-
pearing al different points at the same
time and cannot discover the cause, for
the reason that they have never devoted
time to ts study, imagine that precau,ion is
useless and because they have fortunately
escaped its attacks, urge their own exne-.
rience in proof Of their opinion, that. all
preventive measures are useless.
We have made these remarks not for.
the purpose Of ageravatng fear, but forrhe
purpose ofquietil 6 giI'possible, an.unnecessa
ry apprehension of most persons, as 10 the
certain fatality of the form of Scarlet fever,
which has. during the past. summer made
lis appearance in the ueighLorhood. The
first case of malignanlnatrre, which has
occurred in this sectie" OF country, was in
the latter part Of May last, land was auen-
ded with a fatal result, rs WIRE some Eve
or six cases, itiat occurred. vithin. a mouth
or more after. since which time UP to the
present, there harc been repeated cases Of
attack and recovery. Taking all The ca
ses, which The writer of this has known
from good authority, he feels confident in
uSSSIIlIS, ludl VI DSC VI SlS nave ucCH
attacked, no, more than one has been at
tended with serious consequences, or re-
suited fatally.
The great amount Of rain, that has fallen
during the past summer, with the constant
heat Of the atmosphere since The rains have
ceased; has afforded unfortunately The most
favorable combination of circumstances
for the deveIopem'n and spread Of Scar
lei fever. Under these accidental causes.
rhe disease has assumed something Of all
Epidemic character. and seems 10 exhaust
its viruIence almost exclusively upon chill
dren underiwelve years Of age. To those
then who have the management of chill
ell, these remarks are more particularly
aI'lrr-setl,so that by thc exercise of sound
discretion toward those under their care,
they may he better prepared 10 hear up
under the disorder should they happen to
receive it.
Fear, il is well known, is the most de-
pressing of all the passions. and abundant
instances are on record Of lis having pro-
duccsl instant dealh. How cautious then
should parents be-, that by il-timed conver-
salons and The relation Of cases of unhappy
termination, their chiIdren's minds be nft
poisoned by this most tslavish and basest Of
human passions! Children are imilaliva
creatures, their perceptions strong, their
reasoning faculties weak, their memories
tenacious: letIhcm bur be taken sick, thew
are quick and suspicious; thev SOON learn
!he name at least of their discrder-ever
on the alert they wa.ch closely all who
may he around them. ard il by indiscreet
conversations in their presence. they have
acquired the idea thai their aiment is to
NJ fatal, every anxious look of the fond
nIo'her is conslruedhy Them into grief and
sorrow al their approaching doom. The
physician arrives and fntls to his mex
pressiblc regret, that in addition TO the dis
order of the body, he has 10 combat with
one thousand times more powerful iu tho
mind. The patien, sinks and dics-per-
ba7s as much victim TO unloward cir
cnmsances, as to the malignity Of the dis
temper. That some few cases, where The
cause above alluded 10 has not operated,
seem from the moment Of attack to he be-
yond the reach of medicine, am willing
TO admit bul these arc few indeed.
Any opinion upon The treatment Of the
disease would be obviously OUT Of place in
n newspaper, this belongs I" The Physician,
aud M general directions will suffice. no
particular plan prove successful in every
case of disorder which is Protean in its
symptoms and its character.
Preventive measures nevertheless untir-
ingly persevered in, have been attended
mustly with success in staying the progress
Of this fever, and not unfrequeniIy with
the effect of disarmng il Of much Of its
violence, Those which have the greatest
reputation al the present day, are founded
upon the contagious aud infectious nature
of the dsease:-The breath Of a patien, la
boring under the disease being generally
supposed TO be most contagious, next in or
der, infection from the acrid secrelions and
tbo III oc,