Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-12-12
WHOOP|NG COUGH !
DANGEROUS DISEASE
Georgia State Board of Health Points
Out Necessity for Extreme Care
on Part of Mothers.

Atlanta, Ga-(SpeciaD - Mothers
who CONSIDER whooping cough a triv-
ial disease make a serious and often
fatal mistake, says the Georgia State
Board of Health. On the other hand,
1t is very fatal; it causes every year
in the United States nearly or quite
as many deaths as scarlet fever, and
almost one-half as many deaths as
diphtheria.
Approximately 5000 deaths in the
United States are caused annually by
whooping cough, and of these about
81 per cent. are of children under
five years of age. If the child reaches
five years of age without having the
disease, the chances are strongly In
favor of his escaping it altogether,
though it is by no means certain and
1t is well to continue to take precau-
tons against 1t whenever necessary.
Thus, it is the babies who suffer
most from whooping cough and whose
lives are too often laid down in need,
less sacrifice to it. Save the babies
from it and the problem is solved.
Considering the danger in whooping
cough, its fatality resulting more
largely from complications that fol
low 1t than from the disease itself, it
is strange that so many mothers look
on 1t lightly, and have even been
known in some instances to permit
their children to be exposed to it
while young upon the theory that
they are better able to stand it and
| that it is We'll for them to have it
early and be through with it. This
is mistaken and dangerous view to
take. Inflammation of the breathing
tubes, which is severe in this DIS
ease, is often followed by pneumonia
of an exceedingly fatal type. Besides
being one of the most frequent caus-
es OF pneumonia in children kidney
and heart disease often follow.
Whooping cough is a highly con-
tagious disease IN which the breath
ing tubes are severely Intiamed, and
which is accompanied by a peculiar
parUAysmaI cUusn ending III Lue la
mIilar "Mnoop. Inc real cause OF
the disease ls not hnUwn; there nave
been many theories InYOIVlug numer-
GUS germs, but none Oh them mas ever
been proven out. mat TIE disease
is spread almost enl.leIy Ny luIuuul-
| ate conLact-a contact Nulcn must Ue
fairly close and inIfInate-ls the gen
eraHy accepted view as TO the mdn-
ner of. It's contraction. When one
child In a home mas 1t, the otnerS are
practically sure TO contract it. 1t is
not generally believed to De carried
by otner persons or through injected
clothing or other articles. Close con
tact Will spread lt in the open air,
but ii is not SO liable to do so as In
the house.
For the first few days after con
tracing the disease the child seems
TO have an ordinary cold which does
not yield TO customary treatment The
cold VIII contn for a week or ten
days; the child grows fever.sh and
restless: the cough becomes gradual
ly deeper and harsher; the child also
suffers from loss of appetite and may
become restless and sleepless at
night. The next stage is more Sc
we're, bringing the paroxysms of
coughing from which the disease gets
its name If the child is IN bed, a
coughing spell may come on without
waning; II up and about it may be
restless and disturbed, seeming to feel
that an attack is coming on. Any
slight disturbance such as eating,
drinking or crying will bring on a
spell. Beginning with a short cough,
there follows long series of coughs
VIII CHI gradually become shorter and
shorter, racking the whole body and
causing the greatest distress At the
end of the series of coughs the child
is breathless: its breath is drawn in
with a sudden catch and whoop.
Sometimes three or four attacks may
come in succession, leaving the child
completely exhausted.
Every case of whooping cough
should be treated by phys clan, for
proper treatment not only lessons the
child's suffering, but it reads to
prompt recognition of the symptoms
of any dangerous complication which
might threaten the child's life
Health authorities have done little
toward stamping out the disease be-
cause of the generally prevalent be
lief that it is of more or less trivial
nature. But it would undoubtedly ma
terially lessen the spread of the dis
ease, if health authorities would take
hold of it as they do of other dan
gerous contagious diseases, placard-
ing the houses in which there are
whooping cough patients, and other
wise warning aga nst the contagion
1t would be cruel to confine children
with whooping cough entirely to the
house: they need the fresh air But
it has been suggested that children
with whoopng cough should be mark
ed with a ribbon of some specified
color worn on the arm when they
go out as warning to others against
the d sease. Such protective meas
ures must have a tendency to pre-
vent the spread of the disease
Adoption of these protective meas
ures can only be brought about when
people are convinced of their value
and necessity. The spread of whoop
ing cough can easily be controlled, if
the parents of any community will
unite in the work Parents whose
children have the disease should warn
their ne ghbors and friends against
visiting them. they should see to it
that their children when on the street
do not mingle with other children
and they should not let other peoples
children come to their homes. Like
wise, parents of CHI ldren not affected
with the disease, should keep their
children severely away from those
who have it If these precautions
are adopted and health boards win