The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1913-04-10


country, has led the public to think of
it as trivial and slight disorder
which must occur once in a life timeS
and that the sooner a child has it
and gets over it. the better it Is for
the child.
But persons who take this view for
get not only the danger Of death
among younger children, but the fact
that measles often leaves the patient
with some serious and permanent
troubles of the eyes, ears, heart or
kidneys.
Highly Contagious.
Measles is a highly contagious dis.
ease, accompanied by inflammation Of
the air passages, and a peculiar, mot
tied, dusky-red eruption of the skin.
One attack usually protects a person
against the disease for the remainder
of life. Measles is an exceedingly old
disease, and has been affecting man
kind for hundreds Of years Careful
studies have shown that measles, like
whooping cough, is spread directly
from case to case, and Is rarely if ev-
er conveyed indirectly by infected
objects or by a third person. But it
can be acquired by a very slight ex-
posure of contact with one of who al
ready has it. Practically everybody
is susceptible to it, and it spreads
rapidly wherever it appears in local.
tiles containing those who have not
previously had it.
One Of the things that makes meas
les most difficult to CONTROL is the
fact that patient with measles may
convey 1t to others very early in the
course of the disease, before the erup-
ton appears at all, and before dag
nosis can be properly made. The pa
tient is highly infectious for three or
4 days before the rash has appeared.
When a child is exposed to meas
les, from ten to fourteen days elapse
before any symptoms of the disease
appear. Usually at the end Of about
ten days the patient begins to mani
fest symptoms of illness. The
Development of the disease is usually
gradual and insidious, though more
rarely it will come on suddenly with
vomiting and high fever. Normally
the first symptoms are those of an
ordinary cold, the eyes are redeemed
and watery, the nose runs freely, and
there is "a dry, high-pitched cough.
The throat may be sore, the tonsils
swollen: headache, fever and less of
appetite follow. The disease Is ac-
companied by fever, which disappears
at certain stages and then recurs.
The eruption shows first on the lin
ing Of the mouth. Then comes the
eruption Of the skin, beginning usual
" around the face and neck, composed
Of small, slightly elevated spots, Of
a dusky red color The eruption lasts
usually four or five days and disap-
pears as the other symptoms improve.
Get Physician.
Every case of measles should be
attended by competent physician.
Neglect Of an apparently trifing case
may mean lifelong injury to the eyes,
ears, heart or Other organs
The contagion Of measles is hard to
control, but with the active co-opera-
ton of mothers and fathers its spread
can always be checked This cannot
be done by any public officials or any
health department alone. If parents
win use their efforts to prevent well
children from becoming infected by
keeping them away from children who
have recently had the measles or
who have been exposed to it, and II
parents will promptly isolate any
older children who may contract it,
the dangers of spreading the disease
will be materially 1essened.
Health authorities should notify the
public Of the existence Of measles in a
house by placing card over the
door, and children from houses infect
ed with measles should be excluded
from school while there is any danger
of their being infected
During the prevalence Of the disease
in a community, every school child
should be examined for early symp-
toms. Scientists and physicians still
have a great deal to learn about
measles, both as to it's causes and the
manner Of spreading; but while the
measures already devised are far
from perfect they viii accomplish
much, II the public authorities are
,.t,,ar the co-oneration If the parents.