The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1921-06-25
WHOOPING COUGH Is
UNNECESSARY DISEASE
(By Stevens County Nurse)

Many people look upon whooping
!. cough just as they do upon measles,
as 2 disease that is entirely harmless
and one that the children must have.
But it is not necessary for any
chilli to have whooping cough.
Every disease weakens the system,
and whenever disease is prevented
the strength is preserved, but whoop-
ing cough not only weakens the
system, It actually kills many Of the
children. In 1916 whooping cough
killed rs people in this state where
as fdiphtheria killed 35 and scarlet
fever only Id, and yet we find people
constantly neglecting any effort to
prevent whooping cough and taking
he most stringent measures to pro-
tect their children from scarlet fever
and diphtheria This lack of precau-
ton is the reason why whooping
cough killed so many people in our
state last year, and last year was no
exception. Whooping cough has kill
ed our people in the same proportion
each year. The reason why whoop-
ing cough causes so many deaths is
that we do not take the necessary
precautions to prevent it.
Whooping cough is an acutely
contagious disease and is trans
mitted by the secretions from the
nose, throat and mouth. Any one
who has a child suffering from
whooping cough knows that it is a
most distressing disease. The moth
er who has had her little one run to
her for relief in a paroxysm of
whooping cough will never forget the
picture.
The disease begins much as cold,
with an occasional hard rasping
cough. After about a week the
cough becomes more severe and is
accompanied by choking sensation
followed by sharp forced inspira-
tionS accompanied by whistling
sound which is designated as the
whoop and is typical of the disease.
1t is practically impossible to recog
nizes whooping cough until the
whoop appears.
There is no specific medication for
whooping cough. The child's diet
should be watched. He should not
be allowed to overeat, and should re-
ceive frequent small meals of the
ma. nouEishing- character. His cloth
ing should be carefully looked to in
order that he may keep sufficiently
warm and yet not too warm. He
should spend every possible moment
in the fresh air. His bedroom should
be thoroughly ventilated, and in the
daytime he should spend every mo-
ment possible out Of doors in the
sunshine
When a child is suffering from
whooping cough he should not be al
lowed to come in contact with other
children. When the disease is pre-
sent in community and the child
shows the beginning of whooping
cough he should be kept away from
other children even before the whoop
develops. On account of the pro-
longed nature of the disease absolute
quarantine is not feasible, but it is
entirely practical to keep the child
rem with whooping cough away from
other children. Keep them out Of
school and out of places where chill
dren congregate in considerable num-
bers. The greatest factor in pre-
venting the spread of whoOping cough
today is the education of the people
relative to the seriousness OF the
disease. If the mothers will only
realize the large number of deaths
that are occurring annually, they VIII
be more careful with regard to per-
hitting their children to be exposed
and with regard to preventing ex-
posure of others when the disease
occurs among their own children
All children should remain within
the household and must not attend
public meetings or school until all
symptoms of the disease have dlsap-
peared. These requirements are not
difficult to comply with and every
mother will be glad to submit to the
inconvenience if she once realizes
that by neglecting to comply WIN