FEVERISH ATTACK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 February 1939, Page 8

FEVERISH ATTACK

PECULIAR TO CHILDHOOD. A feverish attack is a disturbance peculiar to childhood, in which the chief or only symptom is a raised temperature, which is not an early manifestation of some definite acute illness, such as pneumonia, influenza, or one of the acute infectious diseases. Most children between two years and 10 years are liable to have one. Now, a raised temperature is simply the body’s reaction to an ailment, and is a sign both that something is amiss and that the. body is doing its best to rectify it. Children run a high temperature with less to cause it than is the case with older people; and also seem to be far less distressed physically by fever than an adult would be. A typical feverish attack comes on fairly suddenly, perhaps after a few hours of general malaise and loss of appetite. The temperature rises to 104 degrees or higher, the face is flushed, the skin hot and dry to the touch, and the lips have a distinctly parched appearance. The child will refuse all food and crave for cold drinks, will sleep frequently, but in between sleeps will look at books and play with toys and be alert and interested in his surroundings. After 24 to 48 hours of fever he will wake up with normal temperature and good appetite and be completely recovered. Generally a feverish attack is a single illness, but some children have one- at intervals of weeks or months, until at the age of 10 to 12 years they “grow out” of them. There are two main causes of feverish attacks: (1) Trouble in the digestive tract; (2) inflammation of the tonsils and adenoid tissues, where the local symptoms —sore throat and reddening of the tonsils —are so slight as to escape notice. ’ In such cases, if the-throat is inspected in a good light some reddening of the tonsils and their surroundings will be seen. The treatment is simple, and consists, of frequent warm baths, in which the cold tap is kept running so that the temperature of the water is progressively reduced, and a single adequate dose of castor oil. The cold drinks should include a fair amount of diluted fruit juices, as a fevered body always needs glucose. In repeated feverish attacks the cause should be sought, found, and dealt with. Where it is beyond doubt that the tonsils and adenoids are to blame, their removal will accomplish a cure. Where the bowel is the offender, some modification of diet is required. Recurrent feverish attacks sometimes mean definite organic illness. So that, though a single attack may be safely ignored, its repetition should be regarded as a demand for skilled investigation as to its cause.