Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1913-04-08
DANGER EXTREME
IN SCARLET FEVER
Isolation, Quarantine and Thorough
Distinction the Only Safe Methods
of Treatment, says Georgia
State Board of Health.

| DlsInrection the only SAFE MethooS
of Treatment, Says Georgia
State Board of Health.
Atlanta, Ga-Scarlet fever, one Of
the Oldest diseases recorded in his
tory, is one of the most dangerous
contagious and infectious diseases of
childhood. Thucydides, the Greek
writer apparently described it as
early as 439 B. c., and it was given
its name and distinguished from meas
| les by Sydenham in 1885.
Undoubtedly a germ disease, the
specific germ causing it has not yet
| been identified, and it remains one of
! the mysteries of medicine. But there
is great deal that is definitely known
about it, says the Georgia State Board
of Health, and among this definite
knowledge are the facts that careless
ness is chiefly responsible for its
spread, and that isolation of the pa
lAChl anu hlolIi1CCllOlI anu luIl SdJlOu
are absolutely essential in cont olling
the contagion.
Scarlet fever is supposed to be caus-
ed by a specific micro-organism or
germ. 1t may live for months outside
the body and then cause the disease.
1t usually occurs in children under
ten years old, but adults may have it..
Every case of it comes from some
previous case. 1t may be conveyed
by contact with a person infected; it
may be carried by an infected article
of clothing a pencil or a toy; it may
be conveyed by milk or even carried
by third person. A child may put an
infected pencil, borrowed from some
other child into it's mouth and con-
tract the disease; wherefore it is i'm
portant to teach children not to put
anything into their mouths but food.
Scarlet Fever Symptoms.
Scarlet fever's first appearance is
usually indicated by sore throat
vomiting, headache, a fever which
may go very high within few hours;
a scarlet rash which appears first on
the neck and then extends over the
body; coated tongue with a straw
berry appearance and, following the
rash, peeling of the skin known as
desquamation. Every case of sore
throat in children should be held I'M
der suspicion and watched carefully
until cured. Sore throat and other
symptoms may appear in the mild or
"abortive" cases of scarlet fever where
the rash may not appear at all or
disappear every quickly.
Scarlet rash, scarlatina and canker
rash are not different diseases; they
are all scarlet fever. These and the
mild type of scarlet fever are, general
ly, the most dangerous to others be-
cause the same precautions are not
always taken to prevent its spread
The sources of the infection are the
discharges from the eyes, ears, nose
and mouth, now known to be the most
dangerous, and the peeling skin.
The disease makes it's appearance
in from one to seven days after infec-
ton: usually the third or fourth day
1t may develop even more rapidly
causing death in a day, The rash ap-
pears at once. Scarlet fever may be
followed by serious after effects, such
as deafness. weak eyes and acute
brights disease
isolation and uarantnes.
Every case of scarlet fever should
be promptly isolated and a rigid
quarantine effected A child exposed
to the disease should be isolated for
seven days, when it may be allowed
to go out if no symptoms appear
Children suffering from the disease
should be placed in light airy room
in which only essential articles are
kept The house should be quaran-
tined by Scarlet Fever" card. No
one should be admitted to the room
except the nurse and DOCTOR and one
designated member of the family, who
should not come into contact with 9TH
er members of the family during the
progress of the disease. The patient
should be kept isolated for a full six
weeks or longer, if necessary until
the discharges from eyes, nose, ears
and mouth have entirely disappeared
and peeling is complete. Extreme
care must still be taken for patients
have been known to communicate the
disease after being pronounced cured.
Some states require isolation for ten
days after peeling is complete.
No article should be allowed to
leave the sick room without thorough
disinfection under directions given by
the attending physician or the local
board of health. After the patient has
recovered, all articles in the room
which cannot be completely disinfec.
ted or effectively fumigated should be
burned.
There is no reason why a child
should ever have scarlet fever: with
proper precautions they will not
Children should be kept strictly away
from the house where there is a case