The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1881-01-28
SCARLET FEVER.
The ScOurEs of the Nursery and How
TO Treat 1t
New York Times

That scourge of the nursery, scarlet
fever, is said to be on the increase here,
and so many neighborhoods are suffer
ing from il that u number of parents
have sent their children out of town for
fear of contagion Besides the charac-
ter common TO the group known as ex-
aniiiamata, scaTietina is almost always
attended by sore throat, and the scarlet
rash or eruption, which gives name 10
the disease, breaks out as early as the
second day after the appearance Of fever,
aud ends ON the sixth or seventh day in
separation of the cuiicIe. Nearly all
medical writers mention three varieties
of the diSease-scarlatina simplex, in
which scarcely any trouble attends the
fever and the rash; scarlatina anginosa.
in which the throat trouble is more
prominent than in either of the other af-
fections, and scarlatina malIgna, in
which the system is Immediately over
borne by the violence of the disorder.
and the patient exhibits great weakness
and loss of vitality. The disease begins
with chilliness, lassIlude, headache, rap
id pulse, dry, hot skin, flushed face, loss
of appetite, and furred tongue. Present
1y the throat feels irritated, grows rec,
and is often swollen The small points
of the rash so Increase that the skin soon
ECCiu0
from the face, neck and breast to the
trunk and extremities The separation
of the cutIcle in scales usually ends in a
fortnight or more from the declaration of
the distemper The fever continues
with the rash; is sometimes accompan-
led with delirium, even coma. In
the malignant or third form, the
rash comes out late and partially,
being at times barely percepti-
BILE. At other times it may abruptly re.
cede, or be mingled with livid spots.
The skin Is cold with feeble pulse aud
| extreme prostration, and death may &C.
| cur-frequently with blood poisoning
| in few hours. In such cases the tongue
is dry, brown, tremulous; the throat is
| lvid, swollen, liberated, gangrenous
breathing is impeded by viscid mucus
that collects about the fauces, and medi
cines avail little. Even in scarletina
anginosa there is considerable danger
/ Il may prove fatal from the infiamma.
| lion, or effusion within the head, OF
| from CisorganlZation of the throat and
sloughing off of adjacent parts. Teem.
ing women are in imminent peril from
the mildest phase of the fever. When i,
seems TO be cured its consequences art
| hazardous. Children, to whom it is
mainly confined, of course, are subject
| diter d severe AltdcA 10 permanent IL
health, and to some of the many form:
of chronic scrofula, as shown 10y
boils, sores behind the ear, Inflammation
of the eyes, glanduiar swellings anC
strumeus ulcers. Scarlatina is Otter
followed by peculiar kind of dropsy
affecting the 6subcutaneous cellular lis
sues and the larger Serious cavities. l
occurs, like all the exanthemats, as al
epidemic-sOmetimes IN very mild
sometimes in very virulent types. Ii
the simple variety, remaining within
doors, non-stimulating diet and regula
tiOa of the bowels are general found sui
ficient. In the second variety leeche
are often employed, especially where de
lirium supervenes. The two principa
sources of danger in the malignant var
ETY. are from the primary effect of III
Contagious poison upon the body an
from gangrenous liberation of the throat
The tnai result is always uncertain
Whether it is contagious throughout il
course, or at one period alone, has neve
been ascertained; but that the power q
cODtagation remains in clothing, furn
ture, etc, is unquestiOned and unique!
!, | tiOnabie,