The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1913-05-29
HOWDANGERLURES
IN GERMAN MEASLES.
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 4 am German
Measles don't you take anybody's
word for 1t except that Of your ply
stefan.
German Measles" whose other
name 10 "Rubella," is mildsman'
nsred fellow himself, who win likely
not do you any harm, but there are
couple Of grand rascals masQuerad.
ing in his guise, and if one OF them
gets into your house there may pc
trouble. One of them is named true
measles and the other is scarlet r.
yer. Both are exceedingly dangerous
guests, according to the Georgia
State Board Of Health. and have Of
ten accomplished their most dire re-
suits when carelessly mistaken for
rubella.
OF course nobody wants to have
German measles ii he can help it..
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 1t.
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.
Il lie Highly Contagious,
While not dangerous disease as
compared with the two latter men
toned. German measles is highly con-
tagous and persons attacked with It
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 course of the disease, but Is most
contagious during the earlier stages.
The oaly persons immune are infants
under six months, and persons VINO
have already had 1t. The fact tnaS
Won NAV have had measles before,
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 OF
German measles is to make sure
that it is really German measles. A
simple method of diagnosis, after the
rash appears, is to see II the glands
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 SAFE
plan is to have doctor.
The diagnosis once established
there is very little danger from Ger.
man measles. It usually runs mild
course, and If the patient receives
the proper attention during the attack,
there will not likely be any comphca-
tions or after effects.
The treatment is simple. The pat
ien1 should be isolated to prevent the
spread Of the disease4 should be put
to bed and kept on Rquid diet. The
physician win sometimes prescribe
such drugs as the circumstances may
demand: or in some cases no medi.
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 1t to develop. The appear
ance Of the rash is usually the only
first symptom, though 1t may be ac-
companied by catarrhal symptoms
and general sick feeling. Fever,
if present at all, is usually slight.
The lymphatic glands at the back of
tl,a Deci, ara nearly ALWAYS swollen.