Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-11-29
SCARLET FEVER
BULLETIN ISSUED
BY GOVERNMENT
Common Methods of Spread Of
This Disease Pointed Out
No Specific Remedy Is
Known.

The great increase in the number o.
cases of scarlet fever which always &C
companies the opening Of the school,
has caused the United states healtf
service 10 Issue q bulletin on this Sc
rious disease OF childhood.
While the way Ia which scarlet fe.
yer is spread and its prevention are
woii known 10 health officers and
physicians. the general public usually
neglects to take these precautions
which would diminish and prevent
this disease so fatal to young children.
The contagion OF scarlet fever is
spread principally from the discharges
of the nose and throat, and the acts
responsible for the transmission OF
the disease from the sick To the well
are those which are common in our
everyday life, particularly among
| children: namely. kissing, the use OF
| the common drinking cup and COM
mon towel. placing In the mouth ar
I ticles such as lead pencils, candy, ap-
Piles and the like, which have been
previously placed inssoe mouth or in
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 be-
ing "couehed at or 'sneezed at"
No Specific Remedy.
we possess no specific remedies
against scarlet fever" says the health
bulletin. Tho disease once contract
ed must run its course. Tho chief Of
forts for its control, therefore. must
he directed toward its prevention. The
most important means for preventing
scarlet fever consist first, In the early
recognition of tho cases as they occur.
and second. In n thorough isolation Of
those who ore sick
The important thing to remember
Is that n child sick with scarlet fever.
who il thoroughly isolated. does not
transmit tho disease. This isolation
must be carried out for minimum
period of six weeks or longer IL the
mucous membrane OF the nose and
throat are not thoroughly healed by
that time. Safe and thorough isola-
ton In the home, however, Is rather
difficult to accomplish and Is usually
impossible in over crowded city dis
tricts
Special Hospitals Needed.
Our chief reliance. therefore, for
public control Of scarlet fever lies first |
In the provision for adequate contag- |
ious disease hospitals. where all the |
measures Tor the isolation of scarlet I
fever can be properly carried ont;
second. In the prompt reporting by /
physicians of scarlet fever cases.
third. in providing a sufficient num-
her of inspectors and visiting nurses
in health departments for the purpose
OF visiting the homes where scarlet
fever cases occur and seeing that
proper sanitary precautions in regard
10 isolation are observed, and fourth.
adequate systems of medical supervi-
sion IF 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, par
ents should carly teach their children
that the only things that properly be-
long In the mouth are food and drink.
The danger of such practices as of
putting pencils, coins and the like IN
The mouth. exchanging bites of candy
and apples among children and sim
liar practices should he one of the
first features Of the childs educa-
Iion."