The Mother's Manual of Children's Diseases Part 14

=German Measles.=--There is a disorder which seems to hold a middle place between measles and scarlatina, akin to both, identical with neither, and furnis.h.i.+ng no sort of protection from their occurrence.

It is known in this country by the name of _German measles_, or sometimes by its German name of _Rotheln_; the first clear description of its character having been given by German writers.

It is unfortunate that a very slight resemblance of some of its symptoms to those of scarlet fever has led to its being sometimes mistaken for it, and as the ailment is almost always very trivial, doctors anxious to avoid alarming their patients' friends, too often allow the error to go unrectified, and the disease to pa.s.s as one of mild scarlet fever.

The resemblance of German measles to scarlet fever is, however, extremely slight, and is almost entirely limited to the existence of a slight sore-throat, unaccompanied with glandular swelling. The rash in no respect resembles the uniform redness of the scarlatinal eruption, and there is no peeling of the skin, nor even any roughness of the surface left behind.

Slight feverishness sometimes precedes the appearance of the rash for twenty-four hours; but the cough, and sneezing, and running at the eyes and nose, which usher in measles are entirely absent. The rash usually appears in the course of twenty-four hours, is never postponed beyond the second day; it begins, like that of measles, on the face, and, like it, travels downwards, but always disappears on the third day, while that of measles is not entirely gone before the eighth or ninth. The rash itself also has a different character. It consists of small, slightly elevated, round red spots which now and then coalesce into small patches, but never have the somewhat crescentic arrangement observed in the rash of measles. The colour of the spots is somewhat darker than that of the eruption of measles, while the _skin between them remains pale_, and does not a.s.sume the flush of measles. As it disappears it simply fades, and does not at all change its tint as that of measles does, and it leaves the skin unroughened.

Now and then German measles are severe, and are attended with a good deal of fever for a day or two, and even with symptoms of bronchitis.

These cases are, however, very unusual, are seen only at times when the disease prevails epidemically; and even then the symptoms of the affection are sufficiently marked to preserve from error all but those who wish to be deceived, and to flatter themselves that their child is henceforth protected from scarlatina.

=Scarlatina=, or =Scarlet Fever=, for the two names mean the same thing, the former being only the Latin term, and not implying any greater mildness of the disease, is one of the most formidable ailments of childhood, and especially of early childhood, since the highest mortality from it takes place during the third year of life.

It is more dreaded in a household, and justly so, than any other disease of childhood, though, indeed, it is not limited in its occurrence to early life, and instances are familiar to us all in which the mother, devoting herself to the care of her little ones, has herself fallen a victim to the poison.

I do not think it so directly contagious, from person to person, as small-pox, chicken-pox, or measles, but its infection appears to be specially abiding in its character, and to cling longer to the clothes, the bedding, and even the room of a scarlet fever patient, than that of the other eruptive fevers, except perhaps small-pox.

It is an object of special dread also for two other reasons. One of these reasons is the extreme and causeless variations in its severity; so that I have known more than one or two children in the same family to have it so slightly as scarcely to be ill, two to have their lives placed in jeopardy, and two to die. The other reason for special dread is that the mildness of the disease at its outset affords but a slight guarantee against the occurrence of serious complications in its course, and still slighter against secondary diseases which may follow in its train, and either destroy life directly, or leave behind some irremediable mischief.

Scarlatina has been divided by medical men into three cla.s.ses, according to its different degrees of severity; the mild--that accompanied with bad sore-throat--and the malignant variety.

We have specially to do with the first of the three; for it is in it only that there is danger of the disease being overlooked, or mistaken.

The symptoms of scarlatina usually appear within three days after exposure to its contagion, and there is very good authority for believing that the interval never exceeds six days. I should not, however, feel quite secure until after the lapse of ten days, and during this time the child ought to be isolated from his brothers and sisters.

In the mildest form of the disease the appearance of the rash upon the surface, usually with, but sometimes even without slight sore-throat and feverishness, may be the first indication of an affection which is sometimes so deadly. In the majority of cases, however, it is ushered in by vomiting once or oftener, accompanied by headache, heaviness, of head, great heat of skin, and some measure of sore-throat. The brain is easily disturbed in children, as has already been said, and delirium at night during the first twenty-four hours of an attack of scarlet fever need not excite anxiety, for it then often pa.s.ses away, and the disease runs a perfectly favourable course. The continuance of delirium later is an attendant only on the graver forms of scarlet fever.

The rash often makes its appearance within twenty-four hours after the commencement of the illness, at latest in the course of the second day.

It usually shows itself first on the neck, breast, and face, whence it extends in twenty-four hours to the body and limbs, and is then not seldom specially vivid on the inside of the thighs. Its colour is a very bright red, due in part to a general flush of the skin, in part to the presence of innumerable red dots or spots, which do not communicate any sense of roughness to the hand, though now and then extremely minute red pimples are interspersed. For three days the rash usually continues to become of a deeper colour, and more generally diffused over the whole surface; it then slowly declines, but does not wholly disappear until the seventh or eighth day of the disease. As the rash subsides the skin is left rough, and by degrees scales off, often in large flakes from the hands and feet, but elsewhere in a sort of branny scales. Sometimes this process is over in five or six days, while in other cases the skin peels and is reproduced several times in succession, so that it is protracted for three or four weeks or even longer. The degree of this peeling also varies as well as its duration. It is usually most considerable where the rash has been most abundant, while where the rash has been scanty, it is sometimes scarcely apparent except at the tips of the fingers and toes and just around the insertion of the nails.

Besides the rash there are commonly other symptoms not less characteristic of scarlatina, and among them the sore-throat is one of the most invariable. Even in mild cases, it is very rarely absent, and if not present at the beginning, it comes on on the second or third day.

The palate and tonsils, in these circ.u.mstances are red, and the latter are usually more or less swollen, while swallowing is attended with pain, or at any rate with discomfort. The redness of the palate, which extends also to the back of the throat, is a finely spotted redness closely resembling the rash on the surface. The tongue is coated with a thick white or yellowish coating, through which project numerous bright red points, papillae as they are called, and this appearance of the tongue is as distinctive of scarlatina as the rash itself. Later, as the rash begins to fade, the coating separates from the tongue, which is left of a bright red colour, looking raw and s.h.i.+ning, with the little raised red points projecting beyond its surface, and const.i.tuting what has been called in medical language, the strawberry tongue.

When all these symptoms are present, no one can doubt but that the case is one of scarlatina. But the decision is far less easy in mild cases, for in them the rash is sometimes extremely evanescent, the general disturbance of health very slight, and the fever and accompanying rise of temperature small. The risk in such circ.u.mstances of the disease being altogether overlooked is even greater than that of its being confounded with some other eruptive fever. The rash of measles cannot be confounded with that of scarlatina, and the distinctly spotty character of the rash of German measles ought, apart even from other differences, to render mistake impossible.

Perhaps the best rule that can be laid down is that every diffused red rash, not obviously formed by distinct spots, even though it be not uniform but appears in patches on the neck, breast, back, or inside of the thighs, and persists for more than twelve hours, is scarlatinal.

Further, that in any instance in which even very slight feverishness, or very slight sore-throat, have preceded or accompanied the rash, the nature of the ailment is stamped beyond the possibility of doubt.

Mistakes are made from want of careful observation, much more than from any insuperable difficulty in distinguis.h.i.+ng one disease from the other.

When the least hesitation is felt as to the nature of any rash which may appear on a child, with, or without previous illness, the question should be at once referred to a medical man. People are too apt in these circ.u.mstances to wait for a few days, and then to appeal to the doctor when all traces of rash have disappeared, and when the grounds no longer exist on which he could base a positive opinion.

I need not describe the symptoms of severe and dangerous scarlatina, for long before symptoms become really formidable, the patients will have been placed under medical care. It may suffice to say that the danger is almost always in proportion to the severity of the throat-affection and swelling of the glands, and not at all in proportion to the abundance of the rash. Though severe cases usually set in with severe symptoms, yet this is not invariably the case, and medical watching is all the more necessary from the very commencement, since until the end of the first week it is impossible to calculate on the subsequent course of the disease. In malignant scarlatina happily of infrequent occurrence, the child is struck down, as though its blood were poisoned, from the very first; and death takes place often within forty-eight hours, the rash appearing just sufficiently to stamp the nature of the pestilence which has proved so deadly.

It may form a useful conclusion to all that has been said in this little book about the diseases of children, if I endeavour to point out in what consist the duties of parents in cases of scarlatina, or of any disease which resembles it.

1. To watch carefully the commencement of every slight feverish attack in which a diffused red rash appears, even though this should be only in patches, and to bear in mind the possibility of its being due to scarlatina.

2. To remove the child immediately from the others, so long as there is any doubt concerning the nature of the case, and to remove with him his bed, bedding, and all clothes worn by him at the time when the illness began, or the rash appeared.

3. To place the child if possible in a room at the top of the house, so that the other children may not pa.s.s by his door.

4. Inasmuch as scarlatina often proves fatal to grown persons who have not already had the disease, to obtain at once the attendance of a skilled nurse, in order to avoid the risk of the disease spreading through the household.

The wife belongs to her husband, the husband to his wife; their mutual duties are paramount over even those of the parent; and neither has the right to jeopardise that life which belongs to the other. To say, 'I shall not catch the disease, because I have no fear,' is as idle as it would be for the soldier to say, 'Because I am brave, therefore I am invulnerable.'

I have been accustomed to insist on the absence from the room of father or mother, supposing either of them not to have had scarlatina, so long as I could give the a.s.surance that every thing was going on well; but on the slightest anxiety I have referred to both parents for their mutual decision as to the course which they would choose to adopt.

From a refusal to be guided by this counsel, it has more than once happened to me, to see the child recover from mild scarlatina without a bad symptom, and the mother who had insisted on nursing the little one die of the disease to which she had needlessly exposed herself.

5. So soon as the disease has declared itself as scarlatina, to take up the carpets and remove the curtains from the sick child's room, to empty the drawers of any clothes which may be in them, and to hang up outside the door a sheet moistened with a solution of carbolic acid.

6. To arrange for all food and necessaries to be placed in an adjoining room, or at the head of the stairs, so that there may be no direct communication between the attendants on the sick and the other inmates of the house.

7. To insist on the attendants not wearing either silk or stuff dresses, but dresses of some washable material; and on their changing their garments as well as scrupulously was.h.i.+ng themselves before mixing with other inmates of the house, and especially with the children.

8. While in all respects obeying the directions of the doctor, to grease the child all over twice in twenty-four hours with suet or lard, to which a small quant.i.ty of carbolic acid has been added. This proceeding both lessens the amount of peeling of the skin in a later stage of the disease; lessens the contagiousness of the scales which are detached; and, by promoting the healthy action of the skin, diminishes the risk of subsequent disorder of the kidneys and consequent dropsy.

9. Even when the case has been of the slightest possible kind, to keep the child always in bed for one-and-twenty days. This was a standing rule at the Children's Hospital, and I am certain that its non-observance will be followed three times out of four by dropsy and kidney-disease.

10. When the disease is over, to destroy, if the parents' means at all permit it, the clothes and bedding of the child. When this is not practicable, to have everything exposed to the heat of superheated steam in a Was.h.i.+ngton Lyons or other similar disinfector, and to have all linen boiled as well as washed. Lastly, to have the ceiling whitewashed, the paint cleaned, the paper stripped, and the room repapered, as well as the floor washed and rewashed with strong carbolic soap.

These precautions are troublesome and costly, but disease is costlier still; and who shall estimate the cost of death!

APPENDIX

_ON THE MENTAL AND MORAL FACULTIES IN CHILDHOOD, AND ON THE DISORDERS TO WHICH THEY ARE LIABLE._

Any remarks on the ailments of children would be incomplete if no notice were taken of the mental and moral peculiarities of early life.

For want of giving heed to them, not only are grave mistakes made in the education of children, but in the management of their ailments, both by doctors and by parents: much needless trouble is given to the doctors, much needless distress to the child, much needless anxiety to the parents.

The common mistake committed by those parents who do not make their child an idol to fall down and wors.h.i.+p, and thus turn him, to his own misery and theirs, into the most arbitrary of domestic tyrants, is to treat him as though he were in mind, as well as in body, a miniature man; feebler in intellect as he is inferior in strength, but differing in degree only, not in kind.

Now the child differs essentially from the adult in the three respects; that

1. He lives in the present, not in the future.

2. His perceptions are more vivid, and his sensibilities more acute; while the world, on which he has just entered, surrounds him with daily novelties.

3. He has less self-consciousness, less self-dependence, lives as a part of the world by which he is surrounded--a real practical pantheist.

The child lives in the present, not in the future, nor much even in the past, till the world has been some time with him, and he by degrees shares the common heritage of retrospect and antic.i.p.ation. This is the great secret of the quiet happiness which strikes almost all visitors to a children's hospital.

No one can have watched the sick bed of the child without remarking the almost unvarying patience with which its illness is borne, and the extremity of peril from which apparently, in consequence of that patience, a complete recovery takes place. Much, indeed, is no doubt due to the activity of the reparative powers in early life, but much also to the unruffled quiet of the mind. No sorrow for the past, no gloomy foreboding of the future, no remorse, disappointment, nor anxiety depresses the spirits and enfeebles the vital powers. The prospect of death, even when its approach is realised--and this is not so rare as some may imagine--brings in general but small alarm. This may be from the vagueness of the child's ideas; it may be, as the poet says, that in his short life's journey, 'the heaven that lies about us in our infancy'

has been so much with him, that he recognises more clearly than we can do