Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1905-06-14

| Home Health
Club
D. DAVID b. RIEpGI. %. D.. n. D.
La Porte, Ind. $780, ~.
sCARLATINA.

sCARLATINA. s :
There have been many requests
brought to my desk, in the last week or
SO, for instructions for treating scar
latina. presume from the description
OF the cases for which instructions were
desired, that the authors of these let
ters OF inquiry, as do most of the laity,
have the impression that scarlatina
bears much the same relation to scar
let fever that variloid does to small
pox, that is, a slight attack. This is
erroneous, however, as scarlatina and
scarlet fever are synonymous terms,
scarlatina merely being the technical
term for scarlet fever.
1t seems that most of those who are
now asking for instructions desire to
know particularly about the proper diet
for scarlatina. l will, therefore, give
further instructions upon the subject,
including directions for this part of the
treatment in detail.
Let us see what the disease is. and
Its characteristics, and then the reason
for adopting the dietical rules, which l
shall give, will be better understood.
Scarletina is an acute, contagious, in
fictitious disease the duration of which
is self-limited: it is characterized by
high fever, rapid pulse, scarlet exam
thema (eruption)-the complications
liable to result being nephritis (indam-
nation Of the Kidneys, uraemia (insuf-
fciency Of urine), spinal commissions
and epistaxis (nose bleed). During con.
valescence. desquamation (peeling Off
of the skin, and lining of the mouth and
throat, occurs. Kidney troubles are
more likely to develop, and are more
serious, during desquamation. The fe.
yer is liable to run up very high, even
| reaching as high as 104 and JOG degrees
Fahrenheit, and the pulse beats running
as high as 10 and 120 per minute.
When this condition exists it will be
necessary to restrict the diet, exclusive
ly to milk, in some form-malted, kou-
mis- or peptonized. II there is intlamma-
| ton of the kidneys, the milk diet should
| be continued for several weeks, and
some authorities claim that scarlatina1
nephritis is ayerted by persisting in this
milk diet from the beginning, and con-
! tinuing for several weeks When this
regime is maintained it is necessary to
give about four ounces of the fluid every
hour
During the time the fever is present
which does not, as rule, exceed but a
few days, liquid food should be the only
form of nutrition.
There is another thing which must
be carefully avoided, and that is the
! renal passage of albumen or. technical
ly: albuminuria. The milk diet is usu.
ally all that is required for this, if it is
| begun early and persisted in. This
liquid food can be alternated as follows:
Milk, matted milk, koumis, soups, broth
farinacious gruels, etc. AS there is liza
bility to renal irritation during desqua.
nation, very little heterogeneous icon
tanning nitrogen) food should be given
with the exception of milk and matted
milk, using large quantities of these
liquids: to stimulate uremesis.
AS the throat is generally affected, il
frequently occurs that there is drynes:
Of the mouth. thirst and difficulty il
swallowing. Then the juices of sucf
fruits as oranges (quite sour, lemons
barley water, frappe, ETC., should be
given in larger quantities.
Even though there has been light
attack, there should be great precautio1
exercised in the diet of conyalescing pa.
tients. 1t often occurs that the appetite
is too vigorous. They should not b.
permitted to overload the stomach. how
ever. shortening the duration of the in
teryals between meals, instead.
The following may be given as the pa
tienl gains in strength:
Milk toast, cream toast, soft-boiled OF
poached eggs, eggnog without the
| liquor, small portions of mashed bakeG
potato, sweet oranges, stewed prunes
baked apples with cream, small quaint.
ties of dates and figs, using care not tt
| oyerburden the stomach with too much
| at a time.
! These instructions, if followed In con
nection with those given in a previous
lecture. will be successful in tiding the
patient safely over the severest case Of
scarlatina.