The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-11-22

genealogy back through the German measles and masern to the Sam skrtt masura," word meaning "spots'' The writings of the ancient Arabian physicians are replete with mention of this disease. The Romans, who evidently regard it no more serf- which means little sickness Time and again measles was widely diff fused on SAsiatic and European soil, and shortly after the colonization of Many are the quaint records of it's vtsitations, not the least interesting of which is a letter which appeared in the Boston Evening Post, November 12, 1759, entitled, "A Letter about Good Management Under the Distem- per of Measles at this time Spreading in the Country Here published for the Benefit and the Poor and such as may want help of Able Physicians" :" It is signed Your Hearty Friend and Servant and the authorship is at ed that this letter is reprint of one which Dr. Mather wrote prior to his death in 1728.
 At present the disease is distributed over the entire haibTtable globe from Iceland on the north, to TeTre del F1Iego on the south. It occurs most often and more severely m the colder months, probably because at such times people are more closely crowded together under more unsanhary con ditions. When introduced into peo- Die VITO nave never &u110IOQ 1IO11A IL before, its ravages are frightful, as In the case of the inhabitants of certain of the Fiji Islands. who upon being exposed to the infection fell i'll and died by thousands so that it is esti- mated that 10000 deaths occurred in four months. The epidemic ceased only when every person on the Islands had been infected.
 During the year 1910, the death rates from this disease in the states of Rhode Island and North Carolina q i onYaf TOT In the same year the death rate per 1OO, GOO from measles in Pittsburgh, Pa, was 33.1; Providence, R. l., S1.9; Kansas City, Mo, 2s.4; Lowell, Mass, PSI; Albany, N. r.. 23.9; Columbus, Ohio, 2s.6; Buffa1o. N. r., 221; and Richmond, Va. 21.L
 The death rate among those at tackled varies from 5 to 35 per cent If it is estimated that the death rate is 10 per cent. and the number of deaths from it in the United States it would follow that during the year at least 10000 children suffered from the disease When it is consddered that perhaps 80 per cent, Of these chill disease occurs most often during the months of school attendance, then 1t will be seen that 33,000 children were kept from school from six weeks to two months on1 account of the measles. Leaving out of consideration the death and suffering which was produced in
 
 Measles is a frequent accompand- ment Of war, or any other occasion. which brings large numbers of per sons together under unhygdenic com ditions. In 1860 there were 3S, 000 cases with 1900 deaths from measles in the Confederate army. It is reported that during the BraziI-Paraguayan war an epidemic of measles swept off nearly a fifth of the Paragg1aya-n army in three months.
 If is thus seen ffraf measles is times a very severe disease, one which cannot be dealt with lightly, one to which we should not expose our chi1- dren. A child with measles should be put to bed and kept there as long as it has any fever or cough. The | room should be airy, but it should be darkened, because children with mea- sles are very sensitive to light. The the child is apt to get too warm, kick off the covers and suffer from the cold. chilling in this way may pre- dispose to pneumonia. Food should be light and should consist chiefly of nu- tritious broths, pasteurized milk, soft boiled eggs and the like. Ice-lenIon- ade will bring comfort to the infiamed throat The chfldis eyes should be kept clean, and should the fever get high the comfort of the little sui | feEer may be increased by sponging times it is necessary to put an ice bag to the head, but if the child is sick enough to require this, skilled assist | ance should be summoned.
 When the fever and cough have gone, the child may be allowed to be up and about the room, but for a time should not indulge in violent ex- erckSe, because there is often some wea kening of the heart muscles by the disease The aim is to allow the heart muscle to regain it's normal con dition before putting to much Of a