The Washington times., 1914-07-22

Al eeeoSh VI scarlet teVer may ocSfu
day or so after the patient has been
exposed to contagion. and then again
there may be an incubation period Of q
week or even more. Several years ago,
in the course of my practice, I visited a
family in which there were four bad
cases. Next day left the city and re-
manned away Tor full week. On the
day of my return I fell Ill with the
disease. and very severe attack was
immediately In progress. In this case
the incubation period seems to have
Deen no less than eight days.
The First Symptoms.
Scarlet fever usually begins with
chills. rising fever. headache, loss of
appetite and pains In the limbs, and
sometimes. particularly in very young
children, with commissions A sore
throat ana painful tonsfls next affiict
the patient. and at the end of day or
SO the characteristic red rash appears
This commonly begins around the neck,
and oyer the chest. and at the start
consists Of tiny scarlet biotches the size
Of pinheads. The blotches soon run to-
gether and the whole surface of the
body becomes brilliant red. The men,
branes Of the mouth become swollen
and take on tho so-cslled raspberry
appearance.
Despite the almost universal notion,
there Is no crisis in scarlet fever. A
crisis, in medicine. means a sudden
change In. or terminating of. symptoms.
In scarlet fever, the fever does not cease
suddenly, but slowly. This is called
termination by 1ysis, which Is the very
reverse Of crisis. When the fever goes
down-usually about the fifth day
the scarlet rash begins to disappear, and
the skin of the patient peeis or.
Whenever Ii Is possible q trained
nurse should be engaged, and IN any
event the doctors orders should be
obeyed with scrupulous exactness.
Nothing could be more foolish than the
common custom of seeking advice in
such emergencies from grandmothers,
neighbors who have pulled their own
children through and other we'll
meaning. but laundering experts or
Good nursing means not only intelh-
gent care of the patient, and capacity
for quick and accurately recognizing
threatening complications. but alsO In
tslligent efforts to prevent a 81 spread cad OF 81
the most contagious OF known maladies.
and in achieving an effective quaran-
tine OF his patients the cautious physi-
clan often takes measures which. TO the
layman. may seem almost rfdiculousry
elaborate.
Disease very contagious.
When one Of your children develops
the disease, put 1t to bed in large and
airy room, preferably on the top floor
of the house, and prepare another room
nearby into which the child may Dc
taken when the sick-room proper Is
being aired and cleaned. Take all I'M
necessary furnishings out OF both rooms
Under this heading come carpets, rugs.
the sick room a bed for the patient ana
a. chair and table for the nurse are ABOUT
all that may be called needfuL n PLAIN
clothes-rack will suffice for holding the
necessary changes OF 6ed-ciolhes.
n Il is at all possible, send the other
children of the household to some reia-
tiye's home, and keep them away from
school for a week. II they are appar.
emily we'll at the end OF that time, IL
will be safe to let them go back 70
school. II sending them away Is out OF
the question. and they must remain in
the house, keep them away from all
other children until the patient upstairs
is we'll. They may take the disease az
any time, even in the face of careful
and you certainly would be
greatly grieved to see them carry II to
their fellow-pupils and playmates.
II YOU nurse your child yourself, you
must make I'D your mind to an entire
separation from the other children IN
the house for a period OF at least SIX
weeks. Your bedroom should be next to
on very near that of the patient, or
course, but l cannot advise your sleep
ing in the sick chamber itself. Besides
the chances of infection. this
practice results in unduly Violating the
air of the room. The oxygen that you
consume is needed by the child, for In a
sick room the supply Of oxygen is never
too ample.
with proper treatment the patient