The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1913-06-10
Georgia State Board of Health
Explains Dangers of the
Disease, Erysipelas, and
Outlines Necessary
Precautions.

Atlanta, Ga.-"Mothers, warn your
children against the dangers of Saint
Anthony's Fire. says the Georgia
State Board of Health, in an interest
ing bulletin setting forth the con-
tageous nature of this disease, which
is simply erysipelas under another
name, and which enters the body
through some wound, cut or abras-
Ion not properly cared for.
Erysipelas gets its other more pic
turesque name from the fact that it
is a virulant Inflammation, accom-.
panied by an intense burning sensa-
ton, which turns the skin a fiery,
heated red
Erysipelas is a highly contagious
germ disease. The only safe way to
guard against it is to wash all scrat-
ches, cuts and other wounds with
some simple but effective antiseptic
solution, and protect the place where
the skin is broken from outside in.
lection.
Where a case of erysipelas already
exists the patient should be isolated
and the utmost care should be taken
to prevent its spread to other PEG.
pie. All the precautions taken in
other contagious diseases should be
used, and above all on one on whose
hand there is the slightest scratch
should touch any of the bedclothes
or other articles that come in con-
tact with the patient
A scratch which would be too trivial
to be remembered may be the point
of entrance of these germs. Mothers
at the time children are born, are H.
able to the disease unless the strict
est antiseptic cleanliness is practiced.
Known to the Aucients.
Erysipelas is one of the Oldest
diseases known to medicine Greco
Roman and Arabian physicians were
acquainted with it in ancient times.
Hippocrates and Galen both wrote
about it, 1t is common to all ages
and all countries.
ETysipelas seems to depend in all
cases on the existence of a wound OF
abrasion. 1t usually manifests itself
in from three to seven days after the
germ has gained entrance through the
broken place in the skin. The skin
of the face is the most usual site Of
the disease. There is a tingling soon
followed by an intense burning at the
point where the germ entered. The
| spot soon becomes red and hot, slight
| ly raised above the surface of the
surrounding healthy skin. The mar
gins are sharply defined. Very Otter
| blisters form on the diseased surface
Swelling as a rule is pronounced, anC
when the face is the seat of the dis
sease the patient is sometimes rem
| dered unacceptable during the i'll
ness.
1 The disease spreads rapidly, bu
the part involved today may be FREE
of the disease tomorrow. The genera
condition of the patient during thu
progress of the disease depends Oh
previous health, age and physical con
dition at the time. When patients ar
not aged and are in otherwise goo,
health the symptoms are not ord
narily very severe. There may b
slight chilliness, loss of appetite
headache and fever for one or tw
days.
When the disease is not complicate
= by weakness other ailments or oil
e. age. the prospects for recovery ar
good. But in the aged and those d.
bilitated by the presence of som
Other diseases, such as chroni
bright's disease, chronic malaria, dii
betes, and the like, erysipelas ma
produce alarming symptoms and NJ
infrequently cause death. In thes
patients there is a dry tongue, hig
fever rapid pulse, labored breathing
great prostrattion and deliriun
Sometimes suppuration or gangreI
of the diseased skin may set in befol
death occurs.
: Complications Go With it.
Erysipelas is sometimes compiled
ed by meningitis. pneumonia pleuI