The Western news. [volume] (Stevensville, Mont.) 1890-1977, 1907-12-11
TO GUARD AGAINST
SCARLET FEVER
ADVICE is GIVEN IN BULLETIN
BY SECRETARY FUTILE OF
STATE BOARD OF HEALTH---
Is DEADLY nALADY.


precautions in guarding against scar
let fever in a bulletin recently issued
by the state department of public
health. While there were only u
cases of the disease reported to DR.. T.
ID. futile, secretary of the state board
of health, last month, it is contended
that any community might suffer ter
ribly from the malady If it were al
lowed to spread. The bulletin issued
by DR.. Tuttle follows:
DIR. TuttIe's Bulletin.
"Scarlatina, scarlet fever and scar
let rash are all one and the same dis
ease. Scarlatina, does not mean a
mild form of scarlet fever; it is simply
the scientific name for scarlet fever.
Scarlet rash is also simply another
name for scarlet fever.
"Scarlet fever is a contagious dis
ease. 1t is not, however, as contagi.
GUS as is measles or smallpox; hence,
we occasionally find only a single case
appearing IN a family of seven chill
dren, all of whom have been exposed
On the other hand, the poison of the
disease is very long lived; cases hav
ing resulted from exposure to cloth
ing, books, toys, etc, that had been
infected several months before.
Therefore, it is important that articles
of slight value, such as toys, story
books, ETC., handled by the patient
should be burned, rather than take
any chances of giving the disease to
others in case the disinfection should
prove incomplete from any cause.
"The contagion does not travel
through the air to any great extent,
hence it is not apt to jump from one
house to another, unless carried by
son1e person or some article. Domes-
tic animals, especially cats and dogs
are frequent carriers of the disease
How natural it is for the mother to let
4Fido' or 'Tabby' come in 'to see' the
little one recovering from the disease
and TO let the child pet the animal;
and how equally natural it is for
'Fido' or 'Tabby' to jump over the
fence and play with the neighbors'
children. Dogs and cats should be
absolutely excluded, not only from the
sick room but from any house where
there is a contagious or infectious
disease.
Scarlet Fever Centagion.
"Scarlet fever is contagious from
the appearance of the first symptom
until desquamation or peeling is COM
pleted, until the last particle of de-
tached skin has come away and the
patient has been given an antiseptic
bath.
"All communicable diseases lconta-
gious or infectious) have what is
known as period of incubation. This
means the time consumed by the dis
ease in developing the poison in the
system; in other words, the time be-
tween exposure and the appearance of
the first symptoms of the disease. In
scarlet fever this period of incubation
is from two to eight days, usually the
symptoms appearing by the fourth
day after exposure.
1.-The onset of the disease is usually
sudden; the child complains of sore
throat and of being sick at the stom-
ach,' and frequently vornits. In young
children commissions are not uncom.
mon. The fever rises rapidly and
soon reaches high degree. Within
"a or 80 hours the eruption appears,
usually first on the neck, bat it may
appear at any other point first, and
gradually extends to the rest of the
body. The eruption is bright red,
hence the name scarlet fever, and ap-
pears smooth from a distance. The
lips and chin are usually pale and pre-
sent a marked contrast to the rest of
the face. The tongue is coated, with
small red points appearing through
the coating, causing the strawberry
appearance
Disease May be Mild.
1.-The disease may appear in a very
mild form. The sore throat may be
so slight that it does not cause COM
plaint, and the eruption so light that
it does not attract attention. In these
cases the strawberry tongue is the
only characteristic symptom. In these
cases there is usually some peeling
and this is often the first sign of sick
ness noticed by the parents. These
cases are a most com mon cause of
epidemics. The disease is not suspect
ed and yet the most severe form of
scarlet fever may be contracted from
exposure to these mild cases.
"Scarlet fever is usually not a very
fatal disease. Last year only II deaths
were reported in this state as a result