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White Ribbon, Volume 1, Issue 12, 1 June 1896, Page 11

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SCARLET FEVER. The prevalence of Scarlet Fever during the past few weeks affords us an opportunity to say a few words regarding the treatment of this dreaded disease. The general symptoms after the first premonitory signs of fever are a bright scarlet efflorescence on the

face, neck, and breast, extending down, wards over the trunk and limbs. The throat is sore and there is difficulty of swallowing. The book? give a terrible list of diseases which follow Scarlet Fever, but “ these consequences,” says Dr frail, “ are owing much more to maltreatment than all other causes put together. The melancholy records of medical science afford on no page a stronger exemplification of ‘ The Deadly Virtues of the Healing Art,' than on that wherein is written the management and fatality of Scarlet Fever.”

Now as to its treatment, the method is simplicity itself. Prepare a hot soapy sitz bath; make the temperature suit the comfort of the patient. An ordinary washing bath will serve the purpose perfectly well if a sitz bath is not available. Use, if possible, barilla soap stamped with Mr Clinton’s mark. Cut up a good sized piece of the soap and boil it in about a quart of water, and add it to the bath water. Let the patient sit in the bath (this cold weather it should be given before a pleasant fire) with the feet in a basin of hot water. Lave the body thoroughly while in the bath, with soft flannels;

then take a jug, and with the water of the bath thoroughly douche the back and the abdomen with the warm soapy water. Let the patient remain in the water as long as it is pleasant to him. On leaving the soapy bath, the patient should be wrapped in in a blanket and sponged from head to foot with tepid acetic acid and water, or vinegar and water. Only one portion of the body, however, should be exposed at one time. The head andneck may first be sponged and then covere 1; thenashoulderandarin, and so on. This simple plan will obviate any disagreeable feeling of chill. The feet and legs will also need special attention as they generally incline to be cold. They should be packed in hot flannels wrung out of boiling water, and the hot flannels covered with dry ones to keep in the heat. When the pack cools sponge the legs and feet with tepid vinegar and water, and place the hot water bag, covered with a damp pad, to the feet (a hot water bottle with a damp flann 1 will do equally well), as the heat applied to the feet must be moist. The bed can be protected easily enough by a little careful management. Now, with regard to the throat, which needs con stant care. It must be bandaged, not too tightly, with a small towel wrung out of cold water. As soon as the bandage becomes hot replace it by t fresh one. Cold cloths must likewise be applied to the head and the abdomen,

and changed when they become heated. To insure the comfort of the patient which must always be considered the cold compresses over the neck and abdomen must be covered with dry ones. To move the bowels an injection of water (a pint or pint and a-lialf is required) should be given. Whenever diarrhoea attends use cold enema. Force no food on the patient, but at intervals administer a sip of cold water and acetic acid (a teaspoonful of acid to a

tumbler of water). The oatmeal jelly, the recipe for which was given last week, may be used if the patient feels capable of taking any food. If this treatment is persisted in for two or three days the scarlet lever will run no course from bad to worse, but will succumb to a lational method of treatment. Correspondence on the subject of “The natural Treatment of Disease” will be gladly welcomed by A.W., care of White imbbon Editor, Box 114 Christchurch.