The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1913-06-10
Itself Comparatively Harmless,
1t Often Serves as Deadly
Disguise for Real Meas
les and Scarlet Fever.

Atlanta, Calf an innOcentlooking
and apparently harmless little all
ment comes tapping at your door this
spring, and says Il am German
Measles" don't you take anybody S
word for it except that of your ply
stefan.
German Measles whose other
name is "Rubella," is a mild-man-
nered fellow himself, who will likely
not do you any harm, but there are d
couple of grand rascals masquerao-
ing in his guise, and if one Of them
gets into your house there may De
trouble, One of them is named true
measles and the other is scarlet te-
yer. Both are exceedingly dangerous
guests, according to the Georgia
State Board of Health, and have Oh
ten accomplished their most dire re-
suits when carelessly mistaken for
rubella.
Of course nobody wants to have
German measles if he can help II,
and when the disease breaks out in
community, the State Board OF Health
urges that all the regular precautions
against any epidemic be taken; but
the principal danger lies in the fact
that the other more serious diseases
may be mistaken for it.
For many years German measles
which is sometimes also called
French measles or roseola, was con-
fused even by physicians with meas
les and scarlet fever, as the SKIN
eruption sometimes resembles the one
and sometimes the other. But Ger
man measles is now recognized as
an entirely separate and distinct DIS
ease. which bears no relation what
ever to the regular measles or scarlet
fever.
II is Highly Contagious
While not a dangerous disease as
compared with the two latter men
toned, German measles is highly coll
tagous and persons attacked with IL
suffer from many of the unpleasant
symptoms that accompany true meas
les. Single cases are seldom seen.
The disease usually makes its appear
ance in a community In epidemic
form. The winter and spring months
are the usual times. German measles
can be communicated during the en-
tire ,ourse of the disease, but Is most
contagious during the earlier Stages
The only persons immune are infants
under six months. and persons VINO
have already had it. The fact thaI
Won NAV have had measles betore'
gives you no immunity from German
measles, nor does an attack of Ger
man measles protect you from meas
les germs in the future.
The first thing to do in case Oh
German measles is to make sure
that it is really German measles A
simple method of diagnosis, after the
rash appears, is to see If the glahds
at the back of the neck are enlarged
If they are, it is probably German
measles. But this mode of diagnosis
is not always sure and the only sate
plan is to have doctor.
The diagnosis once estapLsheo'
there is very little danger from Ger
man measles. 1t usually runs mild
course, and if the patient receives
the proper attention during the attack,
there will not likely be any compllca-
tions or after effects.
The treatment is simple. The pat
lent should be isolated to prevent the
spread of the disease: should be put
to bed and kept on liquid diet The
physician will sometimes prescribe
such drugs as the circumstances may
demand: or in some cases no medl-
cine at all may be needed.
Course of the Disease.
After one has been exposed to the
disease, it usually takes ten to twenty
days for it to develop. The appear