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Show 121 MEASLES Of the acute communicable diseases, dis-eases, measles is most widely prevalent preva-lent and most contagious. It spreads with great rapidity to any susceptible individual and as a result few children escape it entirely. Possibly in rural areas, children may miss it if they attend at-tend only the district dis-trict school and Dr. NathanS. somehow are unot Davis III exposed to it when they go to town. This is suggested because of the experience ex-perience in the last war when many of the drafted men developed the disease. It hit them harder than it usually does children and many of those who contracted it in the winter win-ter of 1917-18 had a serious time because be-cause of complications. Many of the cases of measles were in that year followed by a broncho-pneumonia due to a variety of streptococcus. streptococ-cus. The broncho-pneumonia was quite often followed by the development develop-ment of a type of empyema (pus in the chest cavity) that was entirely different from that which followed many of the influenza pneumonias the next fall and winter. Fortunately there has been no epidemic epi-demic of measles of any consequence conse-quence in the army camps during 1940-41. Perhaps with the development develop-ment of the collective schools fewer children even in the rural areas have missed having the disease; per- DECLINE IN DEATHS FROM TETANUS 1933 to 1941 DEATHS-ALL CASES pgk . - iSl 1940 29 -1 THOSE MEDICALLY ATTENDED WITHIN 24 HOURS .940.921 I I haps it is being recognized earlier by the camp physicians who isolate the case before many have a chance to be exposed. Mothers should know the characteristic charac-teristic symptoms of measles. At the start when it is most contagious, the child may not appear sick enough to warrant his being kept home from school though there is usually quite a fever. Some white spots develop in the mouth; there is fever, a running nose, inflammation of the membrane over the eyes and eye lids, sensitiveness to bright light; watering of the eyes; a cough and then a characteristic red flat eruption that spreads over the entire en-tire body and is conspicuous on the face and chest. Whenever any measles mea-sles is known to be in the vicinity, isolate the child when any of these symptoms appear and keep him at home and alone for two or three days to give the rash time to develop. You may not be able to recognize the spots in the mouth, but your doctor will and so can make the diagnosis even before there is any rash. The fever may be quite high for a day or two but usually subsides rapidly if the child is kept in bed in a darkened room and given plenty of fluids. Measles is one of those childhood diseases which are usually so mild that many think the children might just as well have it and get it over with. But if any of them are infants or at all sickly, every effort should be made to prevent their catching it as they more often have severe cases and more frequently develop complications. Among the complications compli-cations that have been seen frequently fre-quently are the broncho-pneumonias and empyemas already mentioned, pulmonary tuberculosis the resistance resist-ance to which seems to be lowered by measles, eye, ear, nose and throat infections, and occasionally an inflammation in-flammation of the brain (encephalitis) (encephali-tis) which may cause permanent damage. There is enough danger to health that results from this usually usu-ally mild and insignificant but highly contagious disease, that it should not be treated lightly. Note especially that 53.3 per cent of the deaths from measles are in infants under one year old. "The statistician deals with averages; the physician, with individuals" Fetter man. QUESTION BOX Send questions to Dr Nathan S. Davis III, Winnetka, 111. (Enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope.) Q. What would you suggest as a simple remedy for relieving gas pains? R. N. A. Without knowing the cause of the "gas pains," it is not possible to suggest any kind of a remedy. Q. What would you suggest to curb excessive smoking? N. J. A. Show that you have sufficient suffi-cient strength of character to cut down the number of smokes or to stop entirely. |