Health in the Home

Southland Times, Issue 21578, 16 December 1931, Page 12

Health in the Home

SCARLET FEVER. (By a Family Doctor.) This is mainly a disease of childhood, though older people occasionally get it. Very young people are less susceptible. Occasionally a child who has already had the disease may have a second attack, but that is rare. Usually it starts suddenly—with a shivering attack, vomiting, headaches, pains all over and loss of appetite. Temperature rises to 103 deg. or 104 deg. and a sore throat develops. The next day the rash appears. It consists of minute, closely crowded pink spots first seen on the chest and the sides of the neck, but later spreading over the whole body. The face and forehead are brightly flushed, but around the mouth is a circular pale area. The rash is most marked on the third or fourth day and then begins to fade. After it goes the .skin peels. The points that parents should remember are a sudden onset of fever, general malaise and sore throat with' a rash appearing on the following day. At that point—if not sooner —they send for their doctor. Only under most exceptional circumstances should scarlet fever be nursed at home.

Other children who were associated with the patient within two or three days of his being taken ill should be kept in quarantine for eight whole days. The infection is conveyed not only by contact with the patient, but also through his clothing, books, toys, etc., and these should either be destroyed or very thoroughly disinfected. Linen can be disinfected by soaking in diluted disinfectant and by subsequent boiling. Bedding should be handed to the local sanitary authorities for disinfection. If the patient has been nursed at home his room must be fumigated and repapered. The patient, himself must be isolated for at least six weeks and this period must be prolonged if his skin is still peeling or if he has any sore throat or running of the nose.

While scarlet fever is generally not very serious, every care should be taken from the outset; for occasionally dangerous complications occur, more particularly pneumonia, kidney disease and disease of the ears.