Chickenpox is Rarely Serious

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23121, 20 August 1938, Page 7 (Supplement)

Chickenpox is Rarely Serious

(~)F all the childish epidemic diseases accompanied by a rash, chicken-pox is the least serious and has fewest complications. It belongs to the. same family of diseases as smallpox and cowpox. These diseases are characterised by the fact that the rash consists of blisters containing fluid or pus and that the germ that causes them has never been discovered. As a matter of fact, it is not a germ in the ordinary sense of the word, as it is too small to be seen with any microscope. Indeed, it is so small that the infective material, whatever it is, can pass through a porcelain filter. Although rarely serious, chickenpox is extremely contagious. The incubation period is about two weeks —that is to say that the disease does not appear until two weeks after exposure to the infection. In most cases it goes through a family of children because it is infective frojn the first, before it is recoguised and isolation carried out. The rash appears on the chest, back, face and scalp. It rarely affects the hands of feet, which are primarily affected in smallpox. The rash consists of raised blebs filled with clear fluid and surrounded by a red area. There is usually a slight temperature for a few days, but in severe cases the fever may be high. After about the fourth day the rash begins to dry up and scabs appear, which take several weeks to fall off. It should be realised that the case is infectious until the scabs have completely fallen off. A child is usually away from school for about two weeks. There are no chest, nose or ear complications such as occur in other infectious diseases, but after the blisters have burst there is a danger of infection of the sores with pus-forming genns. The treatment of chicken-pox in most cases is merely rest and light diet for a clay or two. It is important to prevent scratching, especially of the sores oil the face, as this will cause permanent scars. The irritation is best treated by dusting with fullers earth or talcum powder. No strong antiseptics should be used at this stage, as these encourage scarring.