The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1917-01-15
MEASLES

o
Now thA2 there are an unusually
large number Of cases Of measles
throughout the South and especially
o in our own State, thought it would
be of service to the public to say a
few words about the care and treat
ment of this disease.
It is a common fallacy which is
shared by most people, not only
mothers, that every child has to
have measles before it is grown and
there is no use to prevent it. This
is q mistake for some people never
have it and live to a ripe old age.
There is never case of measles
] that doesn't leave some damage; and
whether this damage is only temper
airy or permanent depends on the
resistance of the child and the inten-
sity of the infection. Osler says that
AZ a cause of death, it ranks first
among the acute fevers Of children
and most deaths occur in the second
var of life. It is primarily disease
Of infanthood. 1t is a curious fact
that babes up 70 the age Of 8 months
seldom have and seem to be protect
ed against it naturally, -.
What is Measles? Measles is an
acute, highly contagious fever, with
specific localization in the upper
air passage, associated with fever
and an eruption Of the skin.
I What causes measles and how it it
spread? The cause has never been
found out, altho the blood Of an in
I fected 4nerson can be injected into a
monkey and produce similar fever
ana eruption. Direct contagion is
he usual way of spreading II. The
poison Is probably in the mocus and
!, secretions from the mouth and nose
and from the skin. This dries and is
circulated through the air as dust.
Il il spread BY direct contact with
! tie patient or through third person
on clothes or through toys or other
articles handled by the sick child.
Before the eruption appearz the
child usually has coryza ar~4 that
seems to be an ordinary cold. This
10 the reason that whole school
may be infected from one child.
The poison soon , loses its virulence
when exposed to the air.
The incubation Of the period of
time it takes child to develop the
disease after exposure to it is from
z to Is days, 10 days being the aver
age. Then comes an invasion which
lasts usually 8 or 4 days. They usu-
ally complain Of = feverish cold,
coryza, running Of the eyes and a
little temperature. The fever in
creases and at the end Of q to Al
hours, it reaches its height. There is
always some cough and in some !!
cases this il very severe. Sore
throat mly also be present. On the
4th day, the eruption appears in
the form Of red spots which resem-
BIZ flea bites. These first appear on
the forehead and in few hours
spread on the rest Of the face then
to the neck, chest, abdomen and on
the back and extremities, (legs and
arms). They increase in number
and sixe,, arranging themselves in
clusters and become darker. They 4
don't seem to be raised above the
skin, but they really are, As you can
feel them. They are more marked
on the face and the abdomen than
on the trunk. i
The general symptoms Of fever I
ETC., last till about and days J
when they begin to lessen. In few !
days the rash begins to fade. This !
takes three or four weeks before |
fully completed. It is often heard if |
after the rash once appears and then l
begins to fade it is sign ,
II death or bad sign. While not
always a sign of death it means that (
the circulation is failing and that I
The heart must be watched.
The child with measles should be
1uarantined till all scalings are over I
The most contagion is spread before
he case is diagnosed so children in j
he house with measles should be Il
Eept away from school and public I
,laces Il they have the slightest
old. During scaling, the skin should j
y kept oiled to keep the scales from
lying in the air Il
There i no specific treatment.
MY to meet the symptoms . they 4
re. The child should Be kept IN at
lkeus6 room = project the eyes. !
- 8 s5s