Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-10-26
How Scarlet Fever is Spread.

The enormous mortality from scarlet fe-
yer which appears IN the Registrar Gener-
ais mortality bills, is now a constant and
increasing quantity. 1t is assuming proper
tions which are alarming not the less so,
because they are largely increased by indi-
vidual carelessness. 1t has always been a
source Of great mortality; and, in the alb
sence Of any means ofchecking its progress,
such as we possess in vaccination for small
pox, and by attention to the water supply
and drainage for cholera and some forms of
pythogenic fever, it becomes the more nee
essary accurately to investigate the means
by which it is spread These may be
summed up chiefly in few words 1t is
spread by personal carelessness, by neg
lect, and by recklessness of individuals as
to the public safety. Scarlet fever is prop
ogated from person to person by culpable
ignorance and criminal neglect Cleanli-
ness and general sanitary regulations are
of use in mitigating the severity of the
disease, but are no bar to its propagation
Let us take the experience of one London
physician during the last week, and it will
easily be sen how scarlet fever is being
spread. He tells us that he has become
cognizan. of the following cases during
that time : Travelling by rail, he was re-
quested not to put down the window, as
little boy in the carriage was not very well.
The boy was on his way home from a school
where scarlet fever had broken out, and
on examining him the eruption was fully
evident. A clergyman brought into his
room lad, not to consult him about the
lad, but inadvertently. He was about to
take him into the country This lad had
just recovered from scarlet fever, and was
in the desquamitive stage of convalescence,
shedding about those scales which are so
highly infectious, and are enough to poison
the whole population. His washerwoman
had scarlet fever in her family; she ascer-
tanned that it was conveyed by the clothing
of a scarlet fever patient sent to the wash
by the friends without any caution. These
are all acts Of the most culpable and dan
gerous negligence. Scarlet fever is one of
the most intensely and continuously conta-
geous diseases till the completion of the
subsequent process of peeling of the skin,
the patient, his clothing and discharges,
and the light scales which are diffused in
the atmosphere from his peeling surface
skin, are pregnant with poison. Not only
should he be carefully isolated; not only
should his clothing and all that comes in
contact with him be carefully and thorough
ly disinfected not only should his body
be anointed, as DIR. Budd has recommend
ed, with oil to limit the aerial diffusion
of the epidermal scales but the utmost
care should be exercised by the persons at
tending him not to become carriers of this
virulent and subtle poison.
To send to the laundress garments fatal as
those of Dejanira, to expose in public
carriage or a crowded waiting-room the
fertile sources of deadly and volatile poi
son, are terrible offences against the public
safety. They are constantly and carelessly
committed and it is thus that scarlatiDa
is spread.-British Medical Journal.