The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1881-02-03
Msrful aud Curious.
SCARLET FEVER.
The Scourgc Of the Nursery, and How 20
Treat N.

That scourge of the nursery, scarlet fever, is
said TO he ON the increase here, and so many
neighborhoods are suffering from IL that a num-
Der of parents have sent their children ont of
town for fear of contagion. Besides the charae-
Ter common TO the group known as exanthamata,
scarictina is almost always attended by sore
throat, and the scarlet rash eruption, which
gives uane to the disease, breaks out early
as the second day after the appearance of fever,
and ends on the sixth seventh day in separa-
ton of the cutiele. Nearly all medical writers
mention three varieties of the disease-scarletina
simplex, in which scarcely any trouble attends
the fever and the rash; scarletina anginosa, in
which the throat trouble is more prominent than
IN either OF the other affections, and searletiua
maiigna, in which tho system is Immediately
overcome by the violence of the disorder, and
the patient exhibits great weakness and loss of
vitality. The disease begins with ehilliness,
lassitude, headache, rapid pulse, dry, hot skin,
flushed face, loss of appetite and furred tongue.
Presently the throat feels initiated, grows red
and is often swollen. The small points of the
rash 80 increase that the skin seems almost
nniformly red, extending from the face, neck
and breast to the trunk and extremities. The
separation of the cutiele in scales usually ends
IN fortnight more from the declaration Of
the distemper. The fever continues with the
rash; Is sometimes accompanied with delirium
even coma. In the malignant or third form, the
rash comes ont late and partially, being ut times
barely perceptibie. At other tunes il may ab-
ruptly recede, or be mingled with livid spots
The skin is cold, with feeble pulse aud extreme
prostitution, and death may occur-frequently
with blood poisoning-in a few hours. In such
cases the tongue is dry, brown, trcmulous; the
throat is liyid, swollen, liberated, gangrenous:
breathing il inpeded by viscid mncus that col
lects about the fauees, and medicine avails little
Even in scarletina anginosa there is considerable
danger. Ii may prove fatal from the inflamma-
ton, or eflusioa within the head, or from disor-
Sanization of the throat and sloughng off of
adjacent parts. Teeming women are in iInmi-
nent peril from the mildest phase of the fever.
When il seems to be cured its consequences are
hazardous. Children, to whom it is mainly con-
fined, of course, are subject after severe attack
TO permanent III health, and to some of the many
forms of chronic scrofula, as shown by boils,
sores behind the ear, Inflammation of the eyes
glandular sweliings and strumous ulcers. Scar
letina is often followed by peculiar kind of
dropsy, affecting the subcutaneous cellular It's
sues and the larger Serious cavities. 1t occurs,
like all the exanthemats, as an epidemic-some-
times in very mild, sometimes in very yirulent
types. In the simple variety, remaining within
doors, non-stmnlating diet and regulation of
the bowels are generally found sufficient. In
the second variety leeehes are often employed
especially where delirium supervencs. The two
principal sources of DANCES in the malignant va
riety are from the primary effect of the eonta-
gious poison upon the body and from gangrenous
liberation of the throat. The final result is al
ways uncertain. Whether it is contagious
throughout its course, or at one period alone has
never been aseertained; but that the power Of
contagion remains in clothing, furniture, etc.,
Is unquestionedandu nquestionable.- Y. Times.