The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-06-17
Scarlet Fever.

1t Is not very safe 10 rely much upon
newspaper opinions upon medical or
legal subjects. But here are some re-
marks upon scarlet fever, which we
find in recent number of the London
Times, communicated by "a Fellow of
Physicians" which seems to be sensi-
BILE and timely:
1t is n notorious fact that scarlet fever
prevails extensively throughout the
country. We hear OF 1t and we meet
with 1t eVerywhere-iu public schools
and in private houses, In the cottage of
the poor, in the parsonage, and in the
palace. The wide prevalence of this
fearful malRdy is due to n variety of
causes, but there are some to which 1
desire TO direct particular attention.
In the first place, 1t frequently hap
pens that persons who are recovering
from the disease travel in public con-
veysnces while they are throwing off
poisonous exhalationS from their bo-
dies, and therefore, while they are still
a sourcceS of danger to all who come
near them, or who follow them, as
travellers in the same vehicles. In this
way, 1t constantly happens that rail.
way carriages, omnibuses, cabs, and
other conveyances become infected by
the subtle poison, which may be a
source ofdanger and of death for an
indefinite period.
Shortly after the reassembling of a
great school it frequently happens that
scarlet fever makes It's appearance.
Why is this2 Perhaps i've hundred
boys come together from various and
distant parts OF the country. In the
course OF their Journey there is a high
degree OF probability that some of them
will travel in an infected carriage, and
that one or more of them will contract
the fever which may then spread more
or less through the school. Thus the
railways continually scatter scarlet fe-
yer over the country, as they recently
conveyed the cattle plague.
Another source of danger Is this: "A
convalescent from scarlet fever Is
thought to require change of air, and
while his skin is still peeling and thus
throwing off the fever poison, he travels
by rail, injecting the carriages and his
fellow passengers on the way, and goes
into lodging by the seaside. From
mere heedlessnesS or from q worse mo-
tive the subject of scarlet fever is never
mentioned. The unsuspecdng land
lady lodges her dangerous guest; the
bedding and the furniture become in
fected, and the next occupant of the
lodgings, coming to them probably for
health, takes the fever.
The germs OF the disease will remain
active in blankets, carpets and curtains
for many months. In last weeks Lam
Get a correspondent relates case in
which some new blankets, having been
infected by scarlet fever, were put
away uncIeansed In a wardrobe. Four
teen months afterwards the mistress of
the house had these blankets taken out
and put upon her own bed; in few
days she took the fever ane died.
II care were taken to cleanse thor
oughly and disinfect all articles of
clothing, bedding and furniture, and If
all persons, acting upon the golden
rule of loving their neighbors as them
selves, would abstain from travelling
by public conveyances, or entering
hotels and clearinghouse while there
il reason TO believe that the germs Of
the disease are still clinging 10 Them
we should hear much less than we do
now of the SORROW and suffering occa-