Year: 1868

scARLn FEVER, Is not very safe
to rely much upon newspaper opinions on
medical Or legal subjects But here are
some remarks on scarlet fever, which we
find in a recent number Of the London
Times, communicated by GA fellow of
the college Of physicians" which seems
TO be sensible and timely -


1t is notorious fact that scarlet fever
prevails extensively throughout the couns
try. We hear Of it and we meet with il
everywhere, in public schools and in
private houses, in the cottage of the poor,
in the parsonage and in the palace. The
wide prevalence Of this fearful malady is
due 10 variety of causes, but there are
some to which desire to call particular
attention. In the first place il frequently
happens that persons who are recovering
from the disease travel in public convey
ances while they are throwing off poison
Gus exhalations from their bodies. and,
therefore, while they are still source of
danger to all who come near them, or
who follow them as travellers in the same
vehicles. In this way it constantly haps
pens that railway carriages, omnibuses.
cabs, and other public conveyances be.
come infected by the subtle poison, which
may be a source of danger and Of death
for an indefinite period.


Shortly after the reassemblinp of n great
school it frequently happens that scarlet
fever makes its appearance. Why is this?
Perhaps 800 boys come together from va,
rious and distant parts of the country.
In the course of their journey there is
high degree of probability that some Of
them will travel in an infected carriage.
and that one or more of them will con-
tract the fever, which may then spread
more or less through the school. Thus
the railways continually scatter scarlet
fever over the country, as they recently
conveyed the cattle plague.


Another source Of danger is this: A
conyalescent from scarlet fever is thought
TO require change of air, and while his
skin is still peeling and thus throwing off
the fever poison, he travels by rail, infect
ing the carriages and hisfellow passengers
on the way, and goes into lodging by
the seaside. From mere heedlessness or
from worse motive, the subject ofscarlet
fever is never mentioned. The unsuss
pecting landlady lodges her dangerous
guest the bedding and the furniture be-
come infected, and the next occupant of
the lodgings, coming to them, probably,
for health, takes the fever.


The germs Of the disease will remain
active in blankets, carpets and curtains
for many months. In last weeks Ian
Get a correspondent relates n case in which
some new blankets, having been infected
by scarlet fever, were put away unclean.
sed in wardrobe Fourteen months af,
terwards the mistress of the house had
these blankets taken out and put upon her
own bed in few days she took the fever
and died.


If care were taken to cleanse thorough
ly and disintect all articles of clothing,
bedding, and furniture, and if all persons,
acting upon the golden rule of loving
their neighbors as themselves, would alb.
stain from travelling by public conveyan-
ces, or entering hotels and lodging houses,
while there is reasen to believe that the
germs Of the disease are still clinging to
them, we should hear much less than we
now do OF the sorrow and suffering occa-
stoned by this formidable scouree.