Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1933-03-23
Mild Attack With
Child Oft Proves
To Be Severe One
DR.. Riley Warns Parents Of
CLIP Cases-Best To
Consult Physician

1T is a great mistake" DR.. r. H.
Riley, Director OF the State Depart
ment of Health, said recently, "to
treat even light cases of measles,
chickenpox, mumps- scarlet fever,
tonsilitis, whooping cough, or any of
the other so-called 'children's' dis
eases as though they did not amount
to much. Treatment of that sort is
comparable to the careless handling
of a loaded gun which surprises you
by going off and doing a lot of
damage.
Some of the most serious out
breaks we have had of scarlet fever,
as well as of other diseases, in diff
ferent parts of the State, have been
traced to mild cases, that is, to
cases that were too light for the
doctor to be called. In some in
stances the children have continued
to go to school and to associate and
play with other children. In others,
after they have been kept at home
for few days, suffering from what
was believed to lust an ordinary
cold they have returned to school
and have scattered their germs
around among their school mates.
Eventually, a group of cases-some-
times very serious ones-have de-
veioped from these carelessly han
died mild cases. The gun proved
to be loaded.
There are several things worth
remembering in connection with chill
dren's diseases. Nearly all of these
diseases begin with a digestive upset
or with symptoms closely resembling
those of the common cold. Accord
ingiy it is a wise thing for mothers
to regard every digestive upset and
every common cold with suspicion
until you are sure it is not the be-
ginning of something more serious.
Your doctor is the best Judge of the
seriousness of such symptoms and
you will save suffering and anxiety
if you put the child to bed, send
for your doctor and follow his ad-
vice.
! "The old idea that children's dis
eases are of no consequence and
i that all of the children in the fam
! lily may as well have them at the
same time, went into the discard,
long ago. Nearly all of these dis
eases are particularly hard on babies
and on children who have not
reached school age. Measles is es-
pecially dangerous for very young
children. Whooping cough and other
diseases have equally had records.
Accordingly, great care should Be-
taken to protect babies and other
young children from all of these
diseases This does not mean that
it is safe to expose the older chill
dren to them. All children should
be protected, at all times, from need
less exposure to infectious or COM
municable diseases.
Children who contract any of
these diseases need very special care
to protect them against possible
dangerous after-efects. This is as
true of the mild cases as of those
that are more serious. Measles often
opens the way for pneumonia, = saf.
ness and eye trouble may oft be
1 traced TO some carelessly treaoet, dis.
ease in early childhood. Kidney dis
eases and damaged hearts often have
their beginnings in the same way
There is wide difference between
/, coddling and intelligent safeguarding
to prevent disastrous after-effects
Here, again, it is wise to have you,
doctors advice, and to follow it."