Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-05-03
NEW FORM OF PEsTILENcE.
Rayages OF the "spotted Fever in Penn
sylvania--.Its Symptoms and Proper
Treatment.

sylvania--.Its Symptoms and Proper
Treatment.
From the Philadelphia Press.l
For many weeks ON alarm, in many cases quite
unnecessary, has existed in different rarts OF
the city aud suburbs respecting disease, since
named the "spotted fever" The approach of
disease in any shape ia sufficiently hideous.
even though the medical books aud the phyei.
clans knowledge place il definitely among that
class the treatment for which has the sanction
of ages. IL is consoling even to the aick man
to know that his complaint IL understood, and
that there can be no mistake in its character or
confusion in the remedies to be applied Mate.
ria msdiea IN our day and generation has 90 lar
advanced to perfection that tM dying patient
cannot leave our world with q reproach OF sci-
ence on his lips. Occasionally, however, the
theories of the men Of science are baffled and
beWildered by new developments of those lila
that the human flesh is heir to. One such has
just presented itself, but, happily for those who
YET expect TO see many more years of terrestri
al 10y, this new disease has been confronted by
the medical men, and successfully treated. An
eminent physician of this city informs us that
the disease which at first broke out as an epi.
demic 10 now on the wane, and the cases oil
death are now go few as to cause no greater anx-
iety than the usual ailments Known to eyery
household.
The first case of this disease was discovered
about the middle of February. The subject
was boy thirteen years of age. He was sud-
denly taken Ill, and died in four days. Imme-
diately after an older sister, about nineteen or
twenty years of age, was attacked by it, and
died in twenty-six hours. Shortly after,
number of cases of the same character were
discovered at the Falls OF Schuylkill, where it
assumed an epidemic form. In one house there
we're four well. .msrked cases, and one or two
persons slightly indisposed In another house
there were three cases, and quite number
scattering 10 the locality. The disease prevail
ed for about two or three weeks; but since that
pefioi il has become exceedingly rare, having,
one might fay, almost entirely disappeared.
About the came time il broke out in Mana
yunk. There were but few cases, however, un.
til about the middle Of April, since which time
number OF patients have been attacked, snd
much alarm has ensued, chiefly 10 consequence
Of the fact that three or four of the sufferers
thus attacked had been working in the same
room, at wooden mill. A number of caees
also occurred at Frankford, aud few at Nor
ristown. Besides these, limited endemic Of
1t appeared 10 Center county, between Belle
fonte and the Pennsylvania railroad. II ap-
pears from our exchanges that the disease has
broken out also in York county. IL is said that
there have been deaths from the same cause in
Washington and Annapolis, with a few isolated
cases In the army.
The disfase was entirely unknown In this
part Of the country. II is said to be similar to
the spotted fever which prevailed in New Eng
land between the years 1908 and 1918. The
name "spotted fever" attaches to it for The
present IN consequences Of the similarity. IL
attacks persons Of all ages oil lie, but Is
chiefly prevalent among the young, from fif
teen to twenty-five years Of age. The patients
are taken down with O chill, which is gentriliy
preceded by uncomfortable feelings for few
hours. The chill is followed by an intense
headache, pain in the back Of the neck, pass
ing down the spine, and fever. In about tWen
ty.four hours an eruption, in reddish spots, ap.
pears beneath the skn, causing, however, no |
elevation. IL consists Of little points Of blood,
varying 10 size from o pins head to quarter \
OF an inch, and some times larger. The erup-
tion was found 30 be precisely similar to spots 1
found 10 the interior Of body examined at
Manayunk some ten days ago.