Salt Lake Telegram | 1931-06-26 | Page 17 | Daily Health Service

la Daily Health I St Service t By DR MORRIS 1 FISHBEIN Editor Journal of the American Medical 1 Association and of the Health Magazine 1 Erysipelas has been known to mankind mankind man- man kind for some thousands of years but butt buti i it t was wu recognized as a contagious condition only in 1800 1600 It usually manifests I itself lf as an acute inflammation inflammation inflammation mation of the skin but because of its severity its effects are felt throughout through through- out the whole body The beginning ginning of or erysipelas may be bea a wound or abrasion of the skin Ekin so small that it cannot be seen with the naked eye Into this wound the germs erms ent enter r the causative organism I being a form fonn of the or organism organism organism or- or of the same family that causes scarlet fever heart disease septic sore throat and innumerable other complaints I If it were not for forthe forthe forthe the resistance that people usually have in their bodies erysipelas would be much more frequent than it really is The manner In which erysipelas affects th the body generally is to set setup setup setup up a severe revere fever with a chill and a. a associated with this all aU of the symptoms toms of an acute intoxication or poisoning poisoning poisoning poi poi- of the body such as headache loss of appetite vomiting and even delirium Erysipelas starts most commonly on the face tace around the no nose and eyes but other places In which it appears not Infrequently are around ulcers o othe of the leg and in connection with surgical surgical surgical sur sur- I wounds The condition is such sucha a virulent Inflammation that It has ha been called St. St Anthonys Anthony's fire Because Because Because Be Be- cause of the speed with which erysipelas erysipelas erysipelas ery ery- spreads from the nose over ove the cheeks its appearance on th the face fac is called a butterfly appearance Most Mos frequently the Inflammation stops at some natural boundary such as the hair line of the scalp the nape of ol the neck or wherever the skin happens to o be tightly bound down to the underlying structures Thus erysipelas erysipelas ery- ery rarely pas passes es down over the chin on to the front of the neck When a person has once had cry cry- he is likely to have repeated d infections exactly as in the case of or multiple boils Any competent doctor Is familiar with the symptoms of er erysipelas and makes makes' a diagnosis at t a glance glane It is Important to realize that it is one of the he the most dangerous diseases that can attack a a. human being the number of deaths varying from 4 to 9 per cent In n general and averaging about 1 per percent percent percent cent In young people If the germs are found in the thee blood the patient usually dies Numerous remedies have been en de developed developed developed de- de for tor treatment Including all sorts of antiseptics and antitoxins The frequent use of cold or hot cloths helps alleviate aUe pain and take down swelling If the eyelids are involved it is customary to drop some mild mUd antiseptic solution Into the eyes Such patients should of course be put to bed and kept In bed until the temperature has been normal for several several several sev sev- eral days The most recent remedy Is 15 an antitoxin made by injecting Ung a horse horre with an organism which has been found to be associated with the disease The serum rum from such a a. hor horse e is an serum I