The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1921-06-30
PUBLIC HEALTH NOTES
Whooping Cough

cure IT. Whooping cough, mumps
measles and chicken pox are with us
so constantly that we have becom,
accustomed to them, and now regard
them as one of the inevitable accom-
paniments of childhood.
Many a mother has exposed he.
child to these diseases believing that
she was performing a good act and
ignorant of the jeopardy in which she
placed the life of one whom she low
ed. 1t is safe to say that these COM
mon diseases, not only take a heavy
toll of the children of our land, bur
are very often followed by results
which may cripple the child or shorten
its life.
Whooping cough of which, at pres
ent, there is an epidemic in this coun-
ty, is one of the most serious of the
diseases of this class in its immediate
and remote effects. 1t Is by no mean>
uncommon in underfed children, that
is, children who are underweight, for
the disease to be followed by tuber-
culosis of the lungs. Cases of paraly-
sis have also been reported. Therefore
WhoOping Cough is a disease serious
ly affecting the Public Health and de-
handing earnest attention. The dis
case is highly contagious, and is
particularly prone to attack children,
very few persons arrive at maturity
without having had the disease. The
cause of whooping cough is unknown;
the disease is transferred from one
person to another by fairly close con-
tact only, the sputum Is the medium
in which the disease germs leave the
body of the person having the disease.
During the violent coughing, the
sputum is thrown considerable dis
lance In the form of a fine spray; and
Ii is in this way and also by means On
handerchiefs and napkins, bed clothes
and other articles which have been
recently ~sprinkled with the infected
spitum, THAI the disease germs are
carried.
The Effectiveness of the sputum is
most marked during the height of the
disease and is active at all times dur
ing the attack. 1t is believed by some
medical men to be transmitted three
or four weeks after the last whoop is
heard.
The period of incubation, that is,
from the time of exposure till the frs,
symptoms of the disease, appears,
varies from two to ten days.
The child has the symptoms of an
ordinary cold in the head and thorax,
accompanied by sharp, nervous coughs
which sometimes come in a series.
This series gradually increases until
there is a succession of violent coughs
accompanied by a feeling of suffoca-
ton and flushing of the face.
In mild attacks, the child may
cough only once or twice a day, but in
severe cases the seizures occur every
few minutes. If the child is kept
quiet, these attacks occur less frequ-
entity. In severe cases, there may be
a bleeding from the nose, or into the
whites of the eyes, and blood may
come from the ears or the mouth. TIL.
violence of the cough cause vomiting,
sometimes involuntary passage of ur-
inc and feces.
Ulcers are very often formed be-
meath the tongue. This is caused by
the rubbing of the tongue over the
lower teeth during coughing. In the
early stages of the disease there is
fever and restlessness, the eyelids are
Redeemed and swollen and the face
puffed, there is also loss of appetite
and because of the vomiting the chill
dren lose weight. No child should be
allowed to go through an attack OF
whooping cough without intelligent
care and attention, Under proper treat
ment, the suffering can be very much
reduced, the course of the disease
shortened, and the dangers of compli-
cations lessened.
In the absence of complications,
children having whooping cough
should be kept in the open air "a hours
out of the "a. They should be well
clad, the clothing should be heavy
enough to prevent chilling and light
enough to prevent the child from be-
coming overheated or tired. AS long
as the child has fever or is weak, it
should be kept in bed. The bed should
be placed on a porch or in a tent in
the yard. The sides OF the tent should
not be put down except for the pur-
pose of keeping out rain. The child
should wear wooden pajamas. Dust
provokes the paraoxysms of cough
ing. IL would be wise to keep the
yard sprinkled.
The diet should be such rs can be
easily digested. Soups, ~pasturized
milk, and eggs should be given fire.
quently. The treatment OF the disease
is left to the physician. The first
thing to be done is the prevention of
the spread of the disease is to have
well persons i~nnoculated with the va
ccine and the next step is to prevent
the sputum from the sick being taxi
en- into the system of the we'll. Paper
napkins or pieces of old muslin should
be provided and burned as soon as
soiled.
Everything which has come In con-
tact with the patient should be stsril-
lied by boiling, before. it is allowed TO
be handled by other people.
Children or adults having %whooping
cough should not go in public places,
nor should children attend school or
Sunday School. Well children should
be taught that they must not come in
close contact with children who
"whoops"; they should be instructed
as TO the dangers Of trading gum, ex-
changing pencils. and other means by
II which Sputum NAV ha y rauSfarred