Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-10-11
Health Talks by DR.. Brady
Prevention of Measles.

Measles Is responsible for nearly four times
many deaths in this country as scarlet
fever causes, and more than twenty times as
many deaths smallpox causes.
This disease always puts tho victims life in
jeopardy. And yet there are still Il few In
dividuals encumbcring the earth who advise
irresponsible mothers TO expose their children
to the fatal disease ana have it over with
This Is the most vicious practice Imaginable.
a great many OF US grow up without having
had measles scarlet fever. and after child
hood immunity unQucstionably increases. so
that few adults are susceptible enough to con
tract measles. provided they are reasonably
Intelligent about avoiding infection. Hun
drcds of doctors and nurses habitually exposed
to measles, scarlet fever and other coinmuni-
cable diseases, have never had these diseases
in childhood and. by intelligent precautions
in caring for patients. escape infection in
adult life.
The virus Ono specific germ is rrcognizcdD
is most vrulcn, in the stage before tho skin
eruption. when the patient is just coming
down with what usually is termed a cold
with the appearance OF the eruption. after
three or four days OF coryza. fcv"rishncss and
coughing the virulcncc or infcctivity Of
measles seems diminish again rapidly. so
that the danger from personal contact with
tn" patient steadily decreases and is rrac-
tically over at the end OF a week or ten days
from the initial CoryZa.
Now it is customary to exclude children
from school when they have measles and in
some communities TO isolate them for ten
days. as a measure OF safety for others. But
this is Of little value as II preventive prccau-
ton, because the child coming down with
measles has ''pcppcrcd" all his schoolnatcs or
paymat.s in the two or three days prior TO
the eruption. while he has been sncczinr and
coughing and entertaining his Just "a cold"
So measles viii probably continue la destroy
many precious lives that should hc saved until
health authorities muster sufficient couraG" to
insist on the isolation of individuals who pur-
port 10 have just Il cold"
Dr. |. W. Brewer. referring to an epidemic
Of measles in Waterfowl. y. Y, in "a paper
read before tho conference OF sanitary officers
last spring said: we must acknowlcdg. that
the so-cailcd cold is the point of attack. and I
hope To SO Impress this community that before
the next measles epidemic the people Will sec
that all children with colds isolated. or at
least excluded from school ! have been told
that the public would never stand for it, but
helicve they Will as soon they realize what
II means
Questions mud Answers.
=" More power to Dr. Brewers executive
ability! May he have the best of luck. But
somehow cant feel so confident OF the pub
lie as he 10 feel.
r. y. ana MarriIrc-Thc young man is &C.
His father died OF tuberculosis aged A when
the young man was 10. one older brother Is
now in Il tuberculosis sanitorium. Another
brother succumbcd to tuberculosis two years
ago. y Young brother looks frail--thin and
pale. The young man himself is Il healthy
appearing and we'll set up fellow. hut he
coughs a little, blows his nose frequently and
when outdoors cNpoctoratcs Il good deal. which
he attributes to "a little catarrhal trouble
with such family history. is the young
man fit for marriage? am only the grand
father Of the girl in the case. hut ] am anxious
to see her We'll married. on II IN
Answcr-'rhc family history is immatcriul
/. \yl, ,bn
young man has lived home. with father or
brother while the latter had tuberculosis Re
lationship or hcredity is the significant
thing; propinquity with or exposure to the
disease through prolonged intimate contac,
with anybody ill OF the disease is the usual
way OF Infection. This young man, like every
other young man contemplating marriage.
should present I" the prospective brides
proper guardian certificate from a physician
the brides guardian can rely upon as to his