The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-11-14
10 PREVENT SCARLET FEVER.

10 PREVENT SCARLET FEVER.
The great increase in the number
OF cases of scarlet fever which al
ways accompanies the opening of the
schools in the fall has caused the
United States Public Health service
to issue at this time q bulletin on
this serious disease of childhood.
While the way in which scarlet
fever is spread and its prevention are
well known to health officers and
physicians. the general public usu-
ally neglect to take those precautions
which would diminish and prevent
this disease 80 fatal to young chill
dren.
me contagion OF scarlet fever is
spread principally from the dis
charges Of the nose and throat, and
the acts responsible for the trans
mission of the disease from the sick
to the well. are those which are COM
mon in our everyday life, particularly
among children; namely, kissing. the
use OF the common drinking cup and
common towel, placing in the mouth
articles such as lead pencils. candy,
apples. and the like. which have been
"a ONAOncAy RAACS0 Al tAe IlOutA VI
fected with the nose and throat dis
charges Of persons suffering from
scarlet fever, or by being sprayed
with such discharges in the act of
being "coughed att or 'sneezed at"
We possess no specific remedies
against scarlet fever. The disease
once contracted must run it's course.
The chief efforts for it's control,
therefore, must be directed towards
its prevention. The most important
means for preventing scarlet fever
consist first, in the early recognition
Of the cases as they occur, and Sec
ond. in q thorough isolation of those
who are sick. The important thing
to remember is that a child. sick with
scarlet fever who Is thoroughly iso-
lated, does not transmit the disease.
This isolation must be carried out for
q minimum period Of six weeks or
longer II the mucous membrane of
the nose and throat are not thor
oughly healed by that time. Safe and
thorough isolation in the home, how
ever, is rather difficult to accom-
plish and is usually impossible in
over-crowded city districts.
Our chief reliance, therefore. for
public control of scarlet fever lies
first in the provision for adequate
contagious-di disease hospitals where all
the measures for the isolation of scar
let fever can be properly carried out;
second, in the prompt reporting by
physicians of scarlet fever cases;
third. in .roviding a sufficient num-
Der Of inspectors and visiting nurses
in health departments for the pur-
pose of visiting the homes where
scarlet fever cases occur and seeing
that proper sanitary precautions in
regard to isolation are observed; and
fourth, adequate systems of medical
supervision of school children; the
abolition Of the common drinking
cup, the common towel. the common
slate and lead pencil in all our
schools. While the habit Of putting
things in the mouth is instructive in
children, parents should early teach
their children that the only things
that properly belong in the mouth
are food and drink. The danger OF
such practices as putting pencils
coins and the like in the mouth, ex-
changing bites Of candy and apples
among children. and similar practices
should be one Of the first features OF
the child's education.