The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-05-04
SCARLET FEVER.
ua.lthful Hints 30 Parents-H0w 10
Escape the Scourge.

In our. col1mns this morning will b
found notices Of more deaths Of young
children in the city. These deaths are
from scarlet fever, and We are given to
understand that this dreadful Scourge Is
beginning to assume, in some instances,
q particularly malignant aspect. As Is
we'll known, this disease is an epidemic
and contagious eruptive fever, character
ICED BY acsrle. rash, appearing on the
Ara, or second day Of the disease aud
ending usually on the sixth or seventh,
or even ~ ls;e as the tenth; also BY
simultaneous Inflammation OF the tonsils
and OF the mucous membrane OF the
mouth and phsrynx, followed by des-
qu'mation.
OF the two modes OF propagation that
by epidemic influence Is far the most &C.
tive. Its contagious character Is also
abundantly proven BY the evidence OF
many medical men.
The serious cases Of the disease
which we have as examples in our
midst, usually begin with nervous symp..
toms. We quote from q late standard
authority on the subject: "fhe onset IS
| in some cases instantaneou In one, the
little patient, a girl two years old, whose
brother and sister had been sick for some
DAYS with scarletina, was put to bed IN
the evening ia her usual health, which
was strong AID vigorous. She
slept quietly through the night
bat was found by the mother
the next morning in state OF drowsi
ness, violent fever, and covered with
deep red scsrlatinous rash. She soor
became comatose, and died on the thlrd
day.
La another case, boy eleven months
old was q little fretful in the afternoon
but was put to bed in the evening -
usual and went to sleep. About ter
O'Clock the nurse heard rustling in the
bed, and on going TO it found him In
violent general CONFUSION The mex
morning he was covered with scarlet
rash, which became deeper and deeper n
the disease went on. Ga the next day hi
was nearly inseBsible and had trequen
attacks OF convu sioEs. On the third day
he had re,rsction Of the neck, with
spasm die twi.chIng, and at the end o.
that day died in state of coma.
In third case boy SIX years old
whose sister had been sick for q wsel
with mild attack, went TO bed well
At three O'Clock in the morning he wa
seized with vomiting and purging, pale
ness ard coolEess OF the skin and grea
exhaustion. A. nine o'clock he Wal
drowsy and dull, the skin WIS pale anc
COOL aud the pulse extremely rapid, ahC
the vomiting and purging had ceased
At twelve o'clock he was comatose anc
had convulsion. He died ut 8 P. NJ.
after an illness of fiitet n hours.
The eruption sometime disappears en-
tlrely after death, and on other occasions
assumes u deep livid or purple appear
sncc In order to purify articles which
nave been exposed to scarlstna, they
should either be put IN boiling
water, or exposed to q temperature
Ct over 20Oo-a temperature some
what below the boiling point o.
water destroys the activity OF the virus
The only absolute safety from its con
tageous influence consists in the complete
isolation OF the sick from the well
Parents with young children should no
visit houses where the disease is or attenc
funerals of such rs die from it.
Attention to the general health, pre- pei
clothing, good iood, cleanliness, pure
air, in our present sta.e OF knowledge
are the best safeguards against IN cpl
denllc invasion.