Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1860-05-01
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The Care of Children with Reference to
Preventing the Fatality of fScarlet Fever.
That the scarlet fever is one of the most fatal
diseases to children which prevails in our land,
tify. Anything. then, which can guard the lit
tie ones from its fatal effects will be gladly en-
braced and cheerfully resorted to.
The most fatal point of attack of this disease
is, frst the throat, and second, the air passages
and lungs. When general disease of any kind
is received into the system, it locates upon the
weakest parts. Scarlet fever being an inlam-
matory disease of the skin, and the lining mem
brane of the throat, air passages and lungs being
continuation of that part of the skin, it Deces-
sarily attacks these If any part of this mem
brane is too weak to withstand the attack, and
throw it off by what physicians call desquami-
ton, the membrane ulcerates in patches and the
child dies. The membrane lining the throat is
almost always the first point of attack, from the
fact that this is usually weakest in children and
less able to withstand the disease. Anything
then, which is calculated to strengthen and
toughen this membrane, or the membrane lining
the air passages and lungs, is calculated to ena-
fever.
To do this we commence when the child is
first born The drink-the very first drink it
receives into its mouth, unless it is its mothers
milk, should be cold water. It's food should be
entirely drawn from its mothers breast, if pos
sible; if not, it should be composed of healthy,
fresh cows milk, one third water, sweetened
with pure white sugar. The child should also
be suffered to drink all the water it will take
The sprue, red gum and children's sore mouth
causes debility of the membranes of the throat,
air passages, and renders them more liable to die
from scarlet fever. Gold water freely and fire.
quenty given is one of the best preventatives of
and remedies for those infantile diseases.
The next best means of strengthening and
toughenng those membranes is by frequent
washings of the neck, throat and breast with
cold water, occasionally using soap, and wiping
and rubbing the parts dry. This should be done
morning and evening-and if two or three times
more day the better. These washings should
never be done with warm water after the child
is few days old. 1t should always be cold wa
ter, and the more friction used in drying the
skin after the washing the better.
The third best means of accomplishing this OBJ
iect is by the dress. The chest should be light
ly clothed with flannel, and the neck, top of the
chest and head be entirely exposed to the air in
warm weather, and when in the house in win
ter. The arms and legs should never 60 uncov-
cred. This causes the blood to recede from them,
gather in too large quantities around the throat
and chest, producing unnatural enlargement of
the glands, and other tissues there, and causing
corresponding debility and liability to disease.
The next best means of Strengthening these
membranes ia children is free exposure to the
air, and by inducing them to exercise their lungs
and throot hv rirrlinp lauphiup orouino crv.
ing and every other means possible. Laughing
and Crying are very beneficial to children. A
child that spends one day without one or the
other cannot be healthy. AT any rate, their in
diligence in these practices strengthens and
tougheDs the organs most necessary to be
strengthened, to guard them against the fatal in
fuence of scarlet fever.
The way to give children exercise and air,
whether they are FIVE days or five years old, is
to take them into the open air-not to let the
air blow on them, but take them into it and have
the pure air of heaven all around them. When
thus exercised or exposed, their feet, legs and
arms should be warmly clad, but their head, tace,
neck and shoulders exposed freely to the air.
You cannot, or should not, prevent the cold air
from being breathed into their lungs. This is
absolutely necessary to strengthen them. lfyou,
at the same time, let the air of the same temper
ature have free access to the skin of the chest,
neck and throat, you prevent their taking cold.
The simple means which we have now emu
merated can be applied and used by every moth
er and nurse. 1t they are used and applied as
directed above by all the mothers and nurses
from becoming fatal in thousands of cases where
it otherwise would. These means are as eppli-
cable to one part of the country as to another,
70 SfrIcts oil tO
fatal disease prevails in all these loca tiles, with
out reference to class or circumstances Of lite,
and these preventive means should be resorted
to by all.
Needle work is thus gracefully eulogized by
Nathaniel Hawthorne, in 1.-THE Marble Faun :"
There is something extremely pleasant, and
even touching-at least, of very sweet, soft, and
winning effect-in this popularity of needle
work, distinguishing men from women. Our
own sex is incapable of any such by-play aside
from the main business of life; but women-be
they of what earthly rank they may, however
gifted with intellect or genius, or endowed with
awful beauty-have always some little handi-
work ready to fill up the tiny gap of every va.
cant moment. needle is familiar to the fin
gers OF them ALL A queen, no doubt, plies it
on occasions; the wolnan-poet can use it as
adroity as her pen; the woman's eye that has
discovered new star, turns from its glory to
send the polished little instrument cleaning
along the hem of her kerchief, or to darn cas-
ual fray in her dress. And they have the i'd
vantage of Us IN this respect. The slender thread
of silk or cotton keeps them united with the
small familiar, gentle interests of life, the con-
tinually. operating influences of which do so
much for the health OF the character and carry
off what would otherwise be a dangerous accn
mutation OF morbid sensibiIity. A vast deal of
human sympathy runs along this electric line,
stretching from the throne to the wicker chair
of the humblest ssamstress, and keeping high
and low in specles of communion with their
kindred beings. Methinks it is token of healthy
and gentle characteristics, when women of &C.
and high thoughts love to sew,
as they are never more at home with
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