The Washington herald., 1916-02-18

1 have been reminded several times
lately OF my promise to give an occs-
sional talk on the subject of the diseases
of children, their symptoms and the
best method of taking care of the little
patient when he is i'll. From two or
three mothers quite lately have come let
ters saying there is an epidemic OF
whooping cough in their neighborhoods
and asking me how the mother can be
sure her child has this disease or is suf-
fering only from common cold.
II you have reason to suspect your
child may have been exposed 10 this
dread disease you must be more than
usually careful with him. Even though
the cough does not develop, and his
symptoms become no worse than those
Of the usual colds. you will never
know but that your preca utions have
averted a severe case of whooping cough.
Therefore. l say, be vigilant il you have
heard of but one case of whooping cough
in your vicinity.
OF all the childrens diseas, I have an
especial dread of whooping cough. Its
consequences may be more disastrous
than any of the other ills that children
are subject to, not even excepting scar
let fever. My own mother suffered all
her life from a terrible bronchial cough
the aftermath of a neglected attack Of
years old. Another relative was made
a nervous wreck by whooping cough. She
took the disease from older children when
she was six months old and although
she grew to womanhood, in mind she
was never more than a child of six or
seven. She had nervous shaking OF the
hands, besides that made it difficult TO
dress herself or do any kind OF sewing
or fancy work. But the worst case OF
all was that Of two little girls / used
to know, named Jennie and Katie Will
Jams, who were made desperately Ill by
whooping cough when they were about
ten and twelve years of age. They had
almost recovered when they were al
lowed to play in a cold room. or course
they had a relapse. and they almost
died Better would it have been for
them and for their mother too, had they
died, for both were left physical incom-
petents one in about the same condition
as the nervous wreck I just told you of.
The other, one of the brightest children
have ever known, was mentally de-
ficient after her illness and in the
course Of time became totally insane. She
Is now an inmate of a madhouse.
Don't think am Calamity howler"
As a rule, think we are spared many
dangers that might overtake us. Among
all the children that have whooPing
flicted in an undue degree. But these
! that 1 have cited are actual cases among
my own relatives and acoHaintances. and
tell you about them to impress you
with the need of avoiding the danger Of
infection, If possible, as well as TO i'm
press you with the very great need OF the
most careful nursing If your child should
contract the disease.
How shall you be certain your child
has whooping cough, you ask. For the
first week or ten days 1t is difficult to
distinguish whooping cough from the
bronchial cough that comes from slight
cold. But as the attack progresses, the
cough becomes more severe, and II is
generally hardest at night. The little
pa tent gets very red in the face and in
severe cases has to hold TO chair or
the nurses hands to keep from falling.
One of my own children had very Sc
we're attack of it and when she felt the
paroxsms coming on used to run to me as
fast as her little feet could carry her and
cry, Hold me, mamma, hold baby,
pleasev'
The paroxysm Is nearly always fol-
lowed by vomiting. and often the weak
ness from lack of food from this cause
! is So great that the child's life is en-
dangered. During the paroxysms the
| breath is caught with that peculiar in
| take that makes the noise called the
| "whoop' from which the disease is
named. Often the whoop S the first
! sign of the disease. and sometimes the
child has a light attack Of whopping
cough without whooping at all In that
case only physician can diagnose the
case.
1t takes from six weeks to two months
| for the disease to run its course. During
that time the child should be Isolated
| from other children, as the cough Is very
| contagious. In fact 1t is so contagious
| that children have been known to take
| Il in the open air when there were cases
| in the neighborhood.
| If you have cause to suspect that your
child has taken the disease. keep him in
the house, and II he seems feYerish put