The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-07-11
SCARLET FEVER.

SCARLET FEVER.
1t is a common but wrong idea, when
one member of a family comes down
with scarlet fever, to send the other
children away, not only TO protect them
but 10 allow of their going to school,
which they could not do if at home.
repeat, it Is a azIrdous proceeding; the
children sent away can scatter the seed
broadcast. They are themselves liable
to develop the complaint as well as give
it to others, Whole neighborhoods have
been stfl cied, when had il not been for
this custom the disease might have been
limited to one family.
Another thing, don't hang the bedding
out to air until it has been properly fumi
gated. Wash everything washable. dis
infect the rest before you expose it to
the four winds of heaven t. SOW right
and left, the dread poison. Lastly, do
not allow the patient to mingle with
others until desquamation is we'll over.
Let others laugh at precautions as unne-
cessary, let not the sin of omission lie at
your door.
The period between the inception of
the poison and the appearance of the
symptoms is called the period fIncuba-
ton and may last from one to ten days,
occasionally longer. When it is definite
ly known child has been exposed to
the disease it should be at once isola ed
if there are other members of the family
liable to contract the complaint. Not
only confine the child IN he house but in
room prepared as heretofore directed,
and all preparations made for combining
the disease germs to one room and that
one as antlseptic as possible. The first
symptoms are usually chill, headache,
sore throat, swelling OF the glands of the
neck, nausea, vomiting, high fever,
bounding pulse, dry skin, sometimes de-
hrlum and convulsions, especially if the
rash is tardy in appearing. A hot foot
bath may hasten matters. Never give
physlc in this disease until all danger OF
metasiasis from the skin to bowels is
pas. The diet should be light milk
toast, etc.
At the end of from six to eighteen
hours the lash should appear. Il Will
be noticed in patches, fading into nor
NAL COLOR, Appearing first on the neck
and spreading very rapidly. The face
seldom h 8 more than a sutfused redness,
the roughness being apparently only on
the body. The disease is now at its
hight, the thrC a. is very sore, the ton
sils covered with apthous patches. In
some anomalous cases the whole force
of the disease seems sp mt on the throat
which is covered with whitIsh fur eX-
tending in severe cases up into the mares,
down into the iarynx causing hoarse
ness and dyspr el. Some of these cases
are diagnosed dlphtheria, but the color
of the membrane, which is not the buffy
coat of diphtheria, the presence in the
neighbOrhoOd of scarlatina and other
factors, should enable the careful dag
nostician to distinguish. In these cases
as well as others the rash is often absent
or very imperfectly developed Any
thing that will bring it out will relieve
the throat.
The child should have its mouth wash
ed once II day, as also other parts of the
body, sponging off under the clothing,
The water should contain small guam
tity of disinfectant and little bicarbon-
ate soda. The spray for the throat il
often needed, and fortunate the child
who has learned to gargle the throat.
wish every parent would teach children
to show their tongue and to gargle their
throat as pereistenty as they teach them
to talk. II can be done easily and at a
very early age, and often proves a very
great accomplishment when it becomes
necessary for the physician to inspect
the mouth. The writer well remembers
one little tot of only fifteen months who
expected to have her tongue and thro At
inspected every time the doctor visited
any of the family, and it stood her in
good stead when the little one WAS sick
The medical treatment OF scIIlatina i:
necessarily 20 varied and extensive &c
forbid any general rules to be followed
by the laity. In many simple cases moth
ing IS really necessary except isolation
and confinement in "A room rendered an
tIseptic as before spoken of. The daily
giving of belladonna in a hOmG lpathIC
form acts either AZ a preventive or rem
ders the attack much lighter when ad
ministered to children liable to expos
ure.
In no case Should a patient have free
dom to mingle among tie unprotected
until desquamalinn is well over, which
varies from two weeks after the stage oil
eruption is closed by the disappearance
of the rash, fading last in the feet. to as
long as four or even six weeks. AS soon
as the epidermi1, scarf-skin begins to
separate there is intoerable itching
Amounting the skin with carbonzed vase
line will relieve this and at the same
time act as an aDtiseptic, preventing
spreading of the disease.
The most scrupulous cleanliness is ne.
cessary in this complaint. Change the
bedding every other day; the clothing
as soon as the rash fades, having them
well aired and warmed. Battle the pa
tient daily ,sponging off under the cloth
ing without exposure. Discharges from
nose, ears or throat should be received
upon ages and these burned.
If the rash delays appearing cunvul-
sions may ensue. The cold / k is a
last resort. never to he restored TO only
under directions. If dropsy occurs,
steam or alcohol baths will be necessary
to promote sweating and thus relieve
the kidneys.-Good Hon Sekeeping