Mother's Remedies, Thomas Jefferson Ritter [reading well .TXT] 📗

MEASLES.—Measles is an acute infectious disease, distinguished by a characteristic eruption on the mucous membranes and skin. It is very contagious and spreads through the atmosphere. Almost everyone is susceptible to measles and suffers at least one attack. The disease is not frequent during the first year of life. It prevails in all countries.

Incubation.—This varies from thirteen to fifteen days. In calculating this period we include the time from exposure to the appearance of the eruption. One attack generally protects the person from another attack. The period of the greatest danger of taking it extends through the period of the eruption. It diminishes as the eruption fades. From this we learn that the infection in measles takes place generally in the incubation stage.

Symptoms and Description of Ordinary Type.—The first symptoms may be only a headache or a slight disturbance of the stomach. There may be some fever in the evening. There is now a redness and watery condition of the eyes, and general feeling of weariness. The cold symptoms (coryza) are not yet marked, but if we look in the mouth we may see a few spots on the mucous membrane of the cheek. Then follow the sneezing, running at the nose, sore and red eyes; running water, sensitiveness to the light, cough and fever. The eruption now appears, and is first noticed on the side of the head and the wings of the nose, as a red spotted eruption, which soon looks like a pimple, and then "blotchy." Older people feel quite sick. The aching all over, and headache are sometimes almost unbearable, especially when there is much coughing. The face, eyes and scalp are soon covered by the red rose irregularly shaped pimples, which next appear rapidly on the back of the hands, fore-arms, front of the trunk, on the back and lower extremities. This order is not always maintained. Sometimes it first appears on the back.

The eruptive stage generally lasts three or four days, during which time the symptoms are all aggravated, especially by any strong light, on account of the sore eyes for the measles are also in them. We have active cold symptoms like sneezing, running at the nose, snorting, snuffling, hawking. The cough is terribly severe, annoying, making the lungs and stomach very sore. The head feels as if it would split. The patient holds his chest and "stomach" while coughing. Symptoms of acute bronchitis develop. Sometimes there is much diarrhea. Pneumonia often develops through carelessness. The fever reaches its height when the eruption is fully developed. The eruption fades after it has been out for three or four days, and then all the symptoms decrease, the fever lessens and becomes normal by gradual morning remissions. Scaling begins when the pinkish hue of the rash has disappeared and continues until the last vestige of reddish spots has disappeared. As a rule it is completed in two to four weeks after the first eruption has appeared. Sometimes the scaling is difficult to see, but it is never absent in measles: It is best seen on the front part of the chest, shoulders, and the inner surface of the thighs. The temperature may reach 104 to 105-8/10 without complications. This description gives a picture of a typical case. The eruption that appears in the mucous membrane of the mouth appears three to four days before the skin rash. It is accompanied by redness of the pharynx and of the front and back pillars of the fauces. The soft palate is studded with irregular shaped, rose colored spots or streaks and the hard palate presents small whitish vesicles. They are also found on the colored mucous membrane of the cheeks and on that opposite the gums of the upper and lower teeth. The rash of measles is a characteristic eruption of rose colored or purple colored papules (pimples). As a rule the whole face is covered with the eruption and is swollen. Diphtheria may complicate measles. Bronchitis and brancho-pneumonia also may occur, especially if the patient is careless and takes cold. Diarrhea is frequently present.

Eyes.—Following severe cases fear of light, spasm of the orbicularis muscle, inflammation of the lachrymal duct, conjunctivitis, ulceration of the cornea and amaurosis (general blindness) may result. Hence the necessity of careful attention to the eyes. Never read anything during the attack of the measles. The ear may also become afflicted. There are other complications, but these mentioned are the important ones.

Mortality in Measles.—The mortality in childhood and infancy is about eight per cent. Mortality is greatest for number of cases during the first year. Six per cent between fifth and eighth years.

Diagnosis.—Presents few difficulties in a typical case. The mode of onset is cold symptoms of the nose and eye, cough; appearance of the mouth, throat and the blotchy eruptions are very characteristic.

Treatment. Prevention.—As soon as you know it to be the measles, separate the case and put the patient in a well-aired room where you can have air without a draft and where the room can be made and kept dark. Those persons who must go in the room should put over them a linen robe, and hang it outside of the sick room. It should thoroughly cover them. When not in use hang it in the open air. An attendant who wears a beard should disinfect his beard, face, head and hands before mingling with the well.

MOTHERS' REMEDIES.—1. Measles, Lemon Remedy from a Canadian Mother.—"Give child all cold lemonade it can drink and keep in warm room. This acts just as well as if the drinks are hot. We tried both on our children and cured both ways." Don't give so much of the cold as to chill. The cold drink makes child sweat, just as hot does. Also helps to carry off impurities by flushing bowels, just as clear water would.

2. Measles, Elder Blossom Tea to Drive Out.—"Elder blossom tea is good for a cold or fever. Gather the blossoms, and make a tea. Pleasant to take. Sweeten if desired. This is also good to drive out the measles." This remedy should be taken warm and is especially good to bring out the rash in children. Take a teaspoonful every hour.

General Treatment.—An ordinary case of measles does not need much treatment. If the patient has a high fever and is very hot and restless, bathe with tepid or cool water every two or three hours, till the patient becomes quite restful. Sometimes they have too much covering and that makes them hot and restless. Remove a little at a time. Bathing will not hurt the rash, for it can be done under the clothes and without any danger to the patient.

Cold Drinks.—These are refreshing and beneficial, if not given too freely. One-third of a glass of water is enough at one time, but it can be given often, if it does not chill the patient. After the feverish days have passed, diluted milk or plain milk can be given in greater amount.

Cough in Measles.—It is likely to be severe, straining and barking and hard to relieve. If it is too severe you can give, for a child one year old:

    Acetanelid 1/2 dram
    Dover's Powder 1/2 dram

Mix and make into thirty powders.

Give one-half powder every two hours when awake or restless.

2. For a child two years old:

    Paregoric 2 to 5 drops
    Syrup Ipecac 3 drops

Mix.

Give every three hours, according to age, one to three hours for a child two years old.

3. For Irritation of the Skin.—Sponge once a day with water at 100 degrees F. containing a little alcohol or a pinch of sodium bicarbonate or soda.

4. For Scaling.—Use ointment of benzoinated lard, combined with five per cent of boric acid.

Diet.—The food should be light; milk, broths, and when the fever is gone chicken and soft boiled eggs, jelly, toasted bread, crackers, cereals, with cocoa for drink. Orange juice or lemon juice may be given in moderation. Milk, one pint per day for every fifty pounds in weight of the patient, during a fever sickness, is a safe and liberal allowance. Smaller children in proportion. Mothers will be apt to give too much and it may then prevent rest and steep. When the fever subsides you can give more milk and some of the above foods. Water, as before stated, can be given for the thirst quite frequently.

Teas.—The laity gives lots of these to bring out the rash. It seems to me before the rash is out the patient is feverish and chilly and the skin is dry, and a small amount of tea given every hour or two might do good unless the patient is made warmer. There are many varieties given. Elder blossom seems to have the call. For some time after the patient is well he may be bothered with a cough; it better be looked after if it continues, for there might be bronchitis or some lung trouble left and unknown.

Caution.—A person who has had the measles or German measles, should be very careful about taking cold, for if they do they are liable to have serious trouble, especially in the chest. It is very easy to take bronchitis or pneumonia during and after an attack of measles. The mucous membrane of these parts is left somewhat swollen and it remains susceptible to disease for some time. "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Remain in the house three or four days longer than may seem necessary and you will be paid for so doing by having good bronchial tubes and lungs,—as good as before if you were careful during the attack.

GERMAN MEASLES.—This is an acute self-limited disease and contagious. It has a mild fever, watery eyes, cough, sore throat and enlargement of the glands of the neck, not seen in the common measles. It has an eruption that may come the first day to the fourth.

Incubation Period Runs.—From fifteen to twenty days.

Rash.—Just before the rash appears there is a headache, nausea and irritation of the bronchial tubes. The eruption is so similar to that of measles at the outset that it is hard to differentiate between them. The eruption in the mouth, however, is not so characteristic. Before the appearance of the eruption, the glands on the back of the neck and angles of the jaw may be enlarged. At the time of its appearance the glands in the armpits and groin become enlarged to the size of a bean and bigger, and they remain enlarged for weeks after the eruption has disappeared.

Treatment.—Similar to the measles if any is needed.

CHICKEN POX (Varicella).—This is an acute infectious disease, characterized by a peculiar eruption. Children are the ones usually attacked. It generally occurs before the tenth year. It is transmitted through the atmosphere. The period of coming on is usually fourteen days, but it may extend to nineteen days. It is perhaps the simplest and mildest disease of childhood. It occurs but once, is contagious, is very common, and resembles varioloid. It has a mild light fever and large vesicles almost the size of a split pea, scattered over the body. There may be few and there may be hundreds. They are reddish gray and appear first on the head and face, then on the body, one crop following another on the body. They are filled at first with a clear liquid, which soon turns yellowish, then breaks and dries up. They leave no scar unless they are scratched or are very large. The patient is usually well in a week, but the scars last longer.

MOTHER'S REMEDY.—1. Chicken Pox, Catnip Tea and Soda Water for.—"Put the patient to bed and give catnip tea. A daily bath of saleratus water is good and the bowels should be kept open." One of the most essential things is to keep the patient warm.

PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT FOR CHICKEN POX.—Exclude other children. The child should be lightly fed and on ordinary food. Large vesicles on the face, when yellow, should be pricked with a needle that has been boiled, then wash them with a disinfecting lotion twice daily.

The following is a good lotion:

    Boric Acid 1/2 ounce (4 teaspoonfuls)
    Boiled Water 1 pint

Mix thoroughly and use twice a day on the eruption.

The child should not pick the sores on his face, as this may cause delay in healing and leave a mark.

MUMPS (Parotitis).—This is an acute infectious disease