Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1840-05-14
From the Cincinnati Gazette.
SCARLET FEVER

| SCAkLET FEVER.
MIR. EDITOR II have several times pub
llshed paragraphs for the benefit of the peo.
| pie, as well as suggestions to physicians. or
the treatment of this disease. But as il is
! again prevalent, and find that MANY of the
latter seem disposed to treat my recommended
tlons as mere serrile garruhty, / shall ad.
dress myself once more TO parents and those
ac@o mare NE care Of families. This disease
(scariet lever, so called,) is most prevalent
among children, but, not unfrequently, attacks
some OF ripper years. When you find your
child unwell with a peculiar redness of the
lace, and especially, if there is complaining
OF sore throat, and slight swelling under the
ears, ana about the angles of the jaw, with
ear acne, 1t will do no harm, nay it is indis-
pensable, to look into the throat, or back part
of the mouth, and, if you there perceive a
scarlet redness, perhaps much more on one
side than the other, you may safely. and
should lose no time to commence the follow
ing treatment:
= rake some cayenne pepper, or red pepper
from the garden will do, shear up pod or
two moderately fine, in teacup, or other con-
venient small vessel, pour on the pepper three
or four table spoonfulls of hot vinegar let
1t steep warm, until very strong, then, after
smashing the pepper against the sides of the
vessel, pour or strain Off the clear liquor,
sweeten this with honey, molasses or brown
sugar. Those who use the CAYENNE vinegar
Tor table use. need not take this trouble. A
little OF 1t slyeetened as above, is the same.
Half a teaspeonful. or few drops of this, in
a teaspoon introduced far into the mouth and
raising the handle so as to drop it directly OH
the part affected, or on the side most affected.
This Will cause a little strangling, but will
subside In few minutes; Soon after which
the operation should be repeated. BY dill
gent repetition as above, the redness often
measurably disappears in few hours, but
the application should be continued less fire.
quently for aday or more. Meantime large
bat of wool well creased and heated very hot,
should be applied, from ear to ear, over the
affected part, frequently re-heating, or better,
exchanging alternately with another.-
Keep the bowels well opened with castor oil
and, lest there should be some worms agera
yatIng the fever, add half teaspoonful, or
less, OF spirits of turpentine to the oil. But
donot too longdelay sending for physician,
VINO beg leave to suggest, should give an
emetlc Of TO grains of blue vitriol; keep
the bowels and skin open with small doses of
antimonial wine. The vitriol sh ould be CIV
en- In large draught Of lukewam water.
Bleeding is seldom necessary, if ever at all
proper. Blistering is liable to run into NOR
tlhcatIon-so tools strong mustard irritations
The Inflammation is, at first, cresipilatous; but
IL often changes TO supurative, and the matter
requires to be lei out. When it does not
speedily end in death, by modification, to
which 1t has strong tendency, il is apt to
degenerate into fungus ulcer, when gargle
of yellow root (hydrastis canadensis,) a small
quantity OF the pepper and refinedSborax,
I1S baE Al Il. u
apply caustic, the pencil concealed in quill,
exactly to the fungus or proud flesh.
This complaint, not unfreuuently leaves
the throat and travels like the thrush down
through the whole length of the bowels
Give then calolnel in moderate doses, follow
ed by castor oil, not emitting the pepper syy-
up to be swallowed in small doses-and if
spontaneous diarrhpa should come on from
putrId liberation. simple solution of soda is
very good, with now and then drop or two
OF laudanum, to cbecl. the two frequent pur-
glng. But do not be too anxious to do this,
for the foul matter should come away.
would conclude with pointing out some
Of the principal causes of danger in scarlet
fever. The first of which may be a want of
sufficient parental influence, or authority,
which prevents both examining the threat,
and using medicine, so that the disease often
has made alarming progress before you are a
ware. End. The neglect of early attention
from the disease appearing so slight, and Sd,
prediction for former practice. To the
physician would say, abandon Cullen and
Goode and Thomas. Thomas mentions the
use ofcapgicum, but does not treat the disease
well, and the host of other writer's with their
Heterogeneous groups and endless divisions
OF synanche, scarlatina, and other names used
to cover different diseases. Abandon their
bleedings and leechings, and purgings, their
slalogogues, their blisters, &c. and endeavor
to save the fauces.-There is the seat of the
disease, at first; produce there action incom-
patible with the diseased action and you are
almost sure to cure, and that speedily. /
have witnessed the scarlatina, under great
variety of names and symptoms, and have
seen the capsicum successfully used for more
than forty years; near the whole of which
time have myself prescribed it, in the man
ner above, and know of no medicine, in any
disease, so secure of success, as this is in
scarlet fever. And lestit be thought would
shrink from responsibility, | will do what
seldom do IN such cases, viz: add my humble
name. n. CROOKSHANK.
Soon after the Copcrnican System of AS.
tronomy began TO be generally understood
an old Connecticut farmer went to his parsor