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Te Ao Hou, April 1958, Page 64

For rashes of infectious disease—examine the whole body unclothed. In chickenpox and German measles the rash may be the first sign of the illness. Scarlet fever rash shows on the second day. The disease begins suddenly with headache, vomiting, sore throat, fever. Measles rash appears on the fourth day. The disease begins like a cold, with heavy eyes, sneezing, cough, running nose, rising temperature. Temperature Normal temperature (special mark on thermometer) is 98.4° in mouth, but may be higher for a very slight reason. Temperature 101° always means something. In these children it is best taken in the groin. With the child lying on its back, place the bulb in the crease between the thigh and the abdomen, then bend the leg up on the body. Hold there for two minutes. Short-bulb thermometer is the safest. Always shake well down below normal first. A sharp rise of temperature in some children may cause a convulsion (instead of a shivering fit, as in adults). If a child has a convulsion, put cold packs on the head and call a doctor. Do not put him in a bath. Pulse The normal rate is 110 per minute in the second year, 90 in the fifth. Mouth and Throat Persuade the child to open its mouth wide, keeping the tongue in, in good light. Place the handle of a spoon on the front half of the tongue (not far back) and press gently down. Ask the child to say “ah”. The uvula hangs in the middle at the back of the throat, the tonsils on either side. Look for a reddening of the back of the throat, spots or coating on the tonsils. Any ill child who has these signs should be seen by a doctor; tonsillitis or diphtheria may be present. In diphtheria the child often makes little complaint about his throat, and may not appear to be seriously ill at first. In trench mouth the symptoms are foul breath, swollen, oozing gums, pain on chewing The child should be isolated. Glands in Neck The glands here may be swollen below the angle of the jaw in tonsillitis, at the back of the head in German measles. Headaches and Poliomyelitis Common early polio symptoms are headache, sore throat, vomiting, abdominal pain, pains in neck, diarrhoea. It is reassuring if the child can kiss its knees without pain, but in any doubt rest in bed is very important from the beginning.