The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-08-27
SCARLET FEVER IN HOUSTON.
The Tyne Has Been So Mild ms IN ec
Almost UnrccOrnixnY,lc

Almost Understandable,
The Following article on the prevalence
of scarlet fever in Houston is from the
current issue of the Southwestern Med,ca,
Records:
The prevalence OF scarlet fever in Hons
ton, its low mortality its remarkable mild
ness IN many cases, and also prevailing
epidemic OF rubeola and rothlen, and an
unusual number of doubling Thomases.
makes this subject OF more than passing
interest.
Many OF the cases have been ridiculous
~ mild, apparently so trivial that my.
sivian felt hesitancy in dignifyiny thr
symptoms with such significance. MANY
cases during the febrile stage were MOI
seen by physician. and such a disease
was not suspected until desquamation at
tracted the attention of the parents ar
DOCTOR. These mild cases In consequence
scattered the disease There We're M
restrictions, no fumigation, no dsinfec-
ton and no treatment. During he des-
quaniatiVe period, school children would
, nlmsie Win their playmates and derive
pleasure from pulling the infected scales
and casts from one anothers hands.
frequently the temperature would never
rise over lol degrees, and the rash would
remain only day, and only by rigid dis
cipline could the children be kent in their
beds. such mild cases would have n ten
uency to remove all fear and apprehen-
sion rom me minds of the physician and
people, would lull them into n false Sc
curly until they were rudely shocked by
Illuminating, malignant and explosive
form which would destroy a robust child
within twenty-four hours by hyperpyrexia
or commissions
The rash in all cases under our observa-
tioii was confined to the body and limbs
the face being noticeably exempt 1t was
a scarlet punctate eXanthem and not a
simple hyperaemia or diation of the blood
vessels. The throat presented the usual
neutrality-suspicious. of the tonsils and
iauces and tiny papuous on the palate The
sub-maXilary and cervical glands We're
frequently involved and occasionally there
was extensive celluliis and deep suppura-
ton.
The great majority of cases were easily
recognized. There was no difficulty in
differentiating from the other eruptive
levers. The early appearance of the rash
the throat symptoms, the strawberry ton
que, the leucocytosis and the disuuamation
would certainly warrant a diagnosis. Not
withstanding the above symptoms a few
physicians would not call it scarlet fever
They insisted that the rash should be on
the face; that there should be a simple
erythema; that there should be desQuama-
tion when the patient died early in the dis
ease and that when the patient recovered
it should have died.
Such opposition may be in measure
due to too close adherence to Northern
observers. Diseases are changed by eli
mate, sanitary surroundings and resisting
power of the patient. Diseases like scar
let fever diphtheria and pneumonia will
not be as fatal in Houston in New York
City. Here we have an equable climate,
well ventilated rooms, diluted poisons and
robust children there they have a cold
and penetrating climate, crowded tene-
ment houses, concentrated poisons and
rickerty and marasmic children.
These points should be well weighed
when we read the symptomotology and
prognosis of diseases as studied in the
North, and We should make a certain al
lowance when these diseases are seen in
the South. RI. M.