Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1875-04-15

when some Senatorial brogan sat down
on them like an elephant on pissmire.
The Capitol was saved"
EPIDEMICS IMONG CHILDREN.
The other day, says a lady in an ex-
change, we listened to very interesting
lecture on this subject given by a mem
Der of the medical profession, and took
notes of portions of it for the benefit of
our readers.
The three epidemics spoken of were
measles, scarlet fever and smallpox. In
repeating what the physician stated we
shall say nothing about the treatment of
these diseases, leaving that to be deter
mined by each reader for himself, and
only mention points interesting alike to
all.
A child affected with measles appears
to have severe cold in the head its
eyes are red and very sensitive to the
light its face is swollen, and ON the
third day the eruption appears on the
face in blotches of crescent or horse
shoe shape, which s. aad and cover the
surface of the body. When the finger is
pressed firmly on these red blotches the
redness does not go away.
Scarlet fever generally begins with
nausea, followed by pain in the limbs
and sore throat the face is not swollen
and the eyes are not very sensitive to the
light. On the second day the rash APP
pears, first on the face in small points of
vivid red, which become difused and
spread over the entire body. The tongue
is very white, with blood-red spots APP
pearing above the frlrred surface. Ii a
pencil or the finger is pressed firmly on
the skin the redness Will give place for a
time, leaving the skin white where the
pressure was exerted, and then the scar
let returns. On the fifth day the rash
turns brown and the skin is very dry.
This is the dangerous time, since the
skin being unable to perform its func-
ton, the kidneys and lungs have double
work to do. At this stage of the illness
the foundation is often laid for Bright's
disease of the kidneys, and everything
depends on keeping the skin soft and
moist. This can be done by oiling it
freely with salao oil, with pure lard, with
unsalted butter, or, what is most agree
able of all, with glycerine and rose water,
two parts of the former to one of the
latter. In England the favorite treat
ment is to immerse the patient ina warm
bath, which is repeated frequently.
The symptoms of smallpox are, first,
a chill, then violent nausea, pain in the
head, and aching in the bones. On the
third day the eruption appears ON the
forehead and about the face in scattered
pimples that feel when the finger is
passed over them as though a bead or
the head of pin were imbedded in the
skin.
Measles requires treatment so simple
that any intelligent mother should be
able to take her child safely through it.
The symptoms of scarlet fever and of
smallpox are so pronounced that they
are not likely to be mistaken. The first
thing to be done is to quarantine the
patient, so as to prevent the infection
from spreading. This can be success
fully done by placing him in top room
of the house, from which carpets, up
holstered furniture and woolens of every
description should be removed. The
furniture left should be of the simplest
description, single or three-quarter bed
for the patient, a lounge for the nurse to
recline upon, wooden or tagged chairs,
and table. There should be a CRATE in
the room and fire kindled in it. This
will not only keep the room ventilated,
but destroy the germs of the disease as
they pass over the fame in their way out
OF the room. Since so much in these
diseases depends ON the care taken of the
patient, there should be two nurses, in
order that one may be on the watch
while the other is resting. There is no
danger of contagion until the eruption
comesto the surface, so thatin case of scar
let fever the mother has two days to take
precautions against the spread of the in
lection, and in smallpox three days.
When the disease is passed the bed
clothes may be disinfected by thorough
boiling, and all not treated in this way
should be burned.