Red Lake news. [volume] (Red Lake, Minn.) 1912-1921, 1918-02-01
CHICKEN Pox


one person to another, but by just what manner we
do not know. 1t usually is seen in children, al
though very rarely persons beyond IA years may
be the victims of attack From the fact that
it travels so rapidly through a community, and
epidemics fairly frequently it is quite GER
tain that most have an attack at some time
during their early childhood, and as one attack is
a preventative against another in the same person
it can be readily understood why adults seldom
are affected From the time one is exposed to the
disease until it develops in the child exposed is
usually from 10 to IA days. AS a general rule
there are not niced any particular unpleasant
signs before the eruption makes it's appearance al
though occasionally child will be fretful for a
couple of days prior The eruption is somewhat
peculiar, for the first day possibly two it will
be small red spot; then for another day it will
appear as small blister; this is followed by
change of the watery appearance of the blister
to a cream or almost white color and usually by
the end of four days from the beginning it com
mences to dry up, forming small dark scab
which sheds without leaving scar providing it
has not been scratched and infected. Infected
spots sometimes become quite serious, unless they
are kept cleansed and simple ointment like
Nvaseline applied. In fact the only death from
this cause the writer has known, happened
uary 6, 1916 There three spots which were
neglected, two of which grew into large slough
ing ulcers and the child died from the blood pois
oning which resulted. When the spots appear,
they come on the neck, chest and back first, al
though they may finally be well scattered over
the entire body When the first spot appears if
you will pick it up between the fingers it will
feel soft, and not like the eruption of smallpox
which always feels like shot under the skin.
in is Whe
ones those which have been out few days
are progressing through the blister, pustule or
drying up process So one may see all stages OF
the eruption in the person after the first
few days. In smallpox, the patient usually feels
very ill before the breaking out occurs The
breaking out comes all at once within less than
twenty-four hours. All spots look alike. At first
red and hard and later watery then full of pus
The patient feels somewhat better when the erup
ton first appears in smallpox, but when the spots
begin to fill up with pus the patient becomes very
i'll again.
Altogether patient with chicken pox usually
goes through the whole process in week some
times little less The fever is seldom high and
indeed sometimes is scarcely noticeable In small
pox the fever is high before the breaking out and
again at the time the spots fill with pus In small
pox when the spots swell into blsters the is
depressed like bellybutton and this is true
in chicken pox Chicken pox should be treated
by keeping the child quiet, at home in bed II feel
ing badly, and avoid extreme cold or dampness.
Very seldom is any medicine needed. Rarely
couple doses of sweet spirits of inter for fever,
and of laxative like castor OIL
Prevention is the best remedy for all disease,
and evenSthough the trouble is as simple chick
en- pox, there is no good reason for needlessly ex-
posing child to the disease. There are and have
been quite few the reservation
The logging operations the Point are in
full blast. 1t is expected to land 100000 feet
in this camp despite the late start and handcaps