EPIDEMICS AMONGST CHILDREN.

Evening Star, Issue 3690, 20 July 1875, Page 3

EPIDEMICS AMONGST CHILDREN.

(New Zealand Times.)

The other day we listened t» a very interesting lecture on this subject, given by a member of tho medical profession, and took notes of portions of it for the benefit of our readers.

The three epidemics spoken of were measles, scarlet-fever, and small-pox. In repeating what the physician stated we shall say nothing about tho treatment of thos* diseases, leaving that to he determined by each reader for himself, and only mention points interesting alike to all. A child affected with measles appears to have a severe cold in the head ; its eyes are red and very sensitive to the light; its face is swollen, and on tho third day the eruptions appear on the face in blotches of a crescent or horseshoe shape, which spread and cover the surface of the body. When the finger is pressed firmly on these red blotches the redness does not go away. Scarlet fever generally begins with nausea, followed by pain in the limbs and sore throat; the face is not swollen and tho eyes are not very sensitive to the light. On the second day tho rash appears, first on the face in small points of vivid red, which become diffused and spread over the entire body. The tongue is very white, with blood-red spots appearing above the furred surface. If a pencil or the finger is pressed firmly on the skin the refines* will give place for a time, leaving the skin white where tho pressure was exerted, aud then the scarlet tint returns. On tho fifth day the rash turns brown and the skin is very dry. This is the dangerous time, since the sk n being unablo to perform its functions, tho kidneys and lungs havo double woik to do. At this stage of the illness the foundation is often laid for Bright’s disease of the kidneys, and everything depends on keeping the skin soft and moist. This can be dono by oiliug it freely with salad oil, with pure lard, with ansalted butter, or what is most agreeable of all, with glycerine and rose water, two pa'ts of the former to one of the latter. In England the favorite treatment is to immerse the patient in a warm bath, which is repeated frequently. The symptoms of small pox p.ro—first, a ohill, then violent nausea, pain in the head, and aching in the bones. On tho third day, the eruption appears on tho forehead and about the face in scattered pimples that f ;cl when the finger is passed over them, as though a bead or the head of a pin were imbedded in the skin.

Measles require a treatment so simple that any intelligent mother should be able to take her child safely through them. The symptoms of scarlet fever and small pox are so pronounced that they are not likely to be mistaken. The first thing to bo doue is to quarantine the patient, so asjto prevent the infection from spreading. This can be successfully doae by placing him in the top room of the house, from which carpets, upholstered furniture, and woollens of every description should bo removed. The furniture left should be of the simplest description, a single or three-quarter bed for the patient, a lounge for the nurse to recline upon, wooden or fligged chairs. There should be a grata in the room, and

a fife kindled in it. This will not only keep the room ventilated, bat destroy the perms of the disease as they pass over the flame in their way cut of the room, 'inco so much in these diseases depends on f ho care taken of the patient, ih re should l>e two nurses, in order that one. may be on the watch while the other ie r sting.