Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-03-10
Scarlet Fever.

DIR. Both, OF Boston, furnishes fooG
Health with paper in which he discusses
scarlet fever and its treatment
1t always begins with a loss of appetite;
then fever and sore throat; then red
patches then recovery, or otherwise
quick or slow death, according to circum-
stances. To arrest its course and to
prevent its ravages, medicines and manip-
ulations dd libitlm have been tried in
vain; for more children die of scarlet fever
now than one thousand years ago. But
why? Becauselnothing absolutely nothing,
is as yet known as to what scarlet fever
is and what is still worse, there was, un-
til recently, no need felt of such knowl-
edge.
1t is as unnecessary for child to die of
the scarlet fever as it is that 1t should be
blind with cataract Let us see. At any
time before the body has finished its
Intellectual struggle we are able to help it,
not by wonderful medicines, but by the
knowledge of anatomy, and the application
of common sense We consult the sym
pathetic nerve, and do what 1t commands
us to DO We must give this child salt
when it wants it; we must give it acid
when it has fever and anXiousy Graves it
not vinegar, but lemon juice, because
the first coagulates albumen, the latter
does not on account OF the surplus OF
oxygen which il contains. To initiate the
soothing mucus in the intestines, which is
now wanting, and to give some respiratory
food at the same time, we add some gum
arabic. 10 restore and relieve theinjured
nerve, we apply moist warmth.
L. h.. full al unit n
the following simple manipulations: I'm
dress the child and bring it to bed at the
very first signs of sickness. Give it, If it
has already fever, nothing but sourish
warm lemonade, with some gum arabic in
it. Then cover It's abdomen with dry
flannel. Take well-iolded bedsheet,
and put il in boiling hot water; wiring 1t
out dry by means OF dry towels, and put
this over the flannel on the child's abdo-
men Then cover the whole, and wait.
The hot cloth will perhaps require re-
peated heat. According to the severity of
the case, and its stage of progress, per-
spiration will commence in the child IN
from ten minutes TO two hours. The child
then is saved it soon falls TO sleep.
Soon after the child awakes IL shows slight
symptoms of returning inclination for
food; help its bowels, ii necessary, with
injections of oil, soap and water, and its
recovery will be as steady as the growth
Of greenhouse plant, if well treated.
Of course if the child was already dying,
nothing could save it, or if ii has already
illusions in the lining Of the heart or
brain, it is much better that II should
die. But if the above is applied
in due time under the eyes and direction
of competent physician, will guarantee
that not one in a hundred children viii
die of scarlet fever. | know this will
startle some of my readers, especially
those who have lost children already, but
| shall 20 still further maintain that Il
child will never get scarlet fever If proper
ly treated. If child has correctly mixed
blood, it will not catch the disorder if put
in bed with sick child. This is still
more startling, but nothing is easier of
proof The same is also true Of whoop-
ing cough, cholera iniantum, etc. | refer
to professor Won Niemeyers treatment of
whooping cough ii consists of equal tenn
perature in room of 70 degrees, and the
regulation Of appropriate digestion He
warrants, by following this simple course,
every case Of whopping cough TO disap-
pear in three weeks. | think even this
could be shortened Lemon juice, salt,
gum arabic and heat are all that Is re
qpired in cholera infantum--only the res
toration of digestion is here more difficult
on account of the intestinal Innings being
injured directly.