The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1903-01-22
WHOOPING COUGH ADVICE.
Some Points About the Dangerous
Disease Which All Mothers Should
Thoroughly Understand.

It is not generally understood that
whooping cough is one of the most
fatal of all diseases that attack chill
dren. In New York city more per-
sons die of whooping cough than of
typhoid fever. Twenty-Five per cent.
of all cases occurring in children un-
der one year end fatally. This means
that out of every four young babies
attacked by whooping cough one dies,
says the New York World.
If persons understood this they
would regard this disease as much
more serious than they do now. Too
many of them look on whooplng
cough as an annoying, but not seri-
Gus complaint, which the child must
go through. If the child actually dies
while suffering from the disease they
attribute it's death to some other
cause.
The treatment of whooping cough
consists principally in good nursing
The rooms where the child live must
pure and of even temperature. Sum-
| mer is more favorable to the disease
than the winter, for child stands a
better chance of recovery in pure
outdoor air. Sea air is very beneficial
| in moderately warm weather.
| When violent fits Of coughing occur
and are followed by vomiting, glass
of milk or egg-nogg should immedi-
ately be given to supply the neces-
sary nourishment.
| Considerable benefit may be OBJ
tanned by spraying the air with vola-
tile oils, which have healing effect
on the air passages.
Doctors generally believe that
there is no specific cure for whooping
cough. All that they can do is to al
leviate the pain of the coughing, take
care of the nourishment of the child,
recommend proper sanitation AMI
guard against complications.
/ Whooping cough is an Inflammation
of the air passages attended by
cough, fever, thirst and loss of appe-
tite. After the disease breaks it may
not become apparent for week or
even more whether it is whooping
cough. The true character of the
ailment is shown by a violent spas
modic cough ending with whoopins
noise. The whooping sound takes
place while the air is being drawn in
and is caused by nervous contrac.
tion of the throat. 1t is germ dis
ease and is infectious. The germs
are carried through the air short
distance from the sufferer.
Most cases occur in the child be
tween three and eight years, and ons
attack usually gives immunity
against further infection.
The disease is divided into three
stages: First, the catarrhal stage
when the patient merely seems II
have bad cold; second, the stage o.
spasmodic coughing; third, the stag,
of decline. The length of the frs
stage varies from two days to three
or four weeks. The second stage ma,
last for many weeks but it should
under proper treatment, begin tt
abate in four or five weeks.
| btlWeGu Tile dlldChS Oh COup01Dl
: the child may be fairly well. Th
paroxysm of coughing lasts from 8
| seconds to minute, and is often fol
lowed by bleeding from the nose ant
! vomiting. The child suffers very Sc
we're pain from the coughing an
choking. 1t is the weakness follow
2 ing these attacks that constitutes tn
greatest danger of the disease. TIL
:. more frequent the attacks of cough
> ing, therefore, the greater the weak
ness becomes. In young babies
: causes sleeplessness, exhaustion an
death.
. The third stage consists of slo'
! recovery. 1t may last for severa
: months, during which the spasmodi
coughing may occasionally return.
: Among the dangerous complics
4 tions which often occur during thi
r disease are pneumonia, bronchiti
O and meningitis.
Running No Risks