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65
Classification of Infectious Diseases.
Infectious Diseases fall into several categories—
(a) Permanent compulsorily certifiable diseases, including Tuberculosis.
(b) Temporary compulsorily certifiable diseases:—Chicken pox
when small pox is present.
(c) Non-certifiable diseases—
(1) Diseases notifiable by School Teachers:—Measles, whooping
cough, mumps, tonsilitis.
(2) Communicable Disorders notifiable by School Teachers:—
Ophthalmia, ringworm, impetigo, scabies, pediculosis.
(3) Suspicious illness:—Sore throat, feverish cold, whooping,
vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, epidemic pneumonia, influenza, epidemic
diarrhoea, etc.
Incubation and Quarantine Periods.
Two Weeks from Inception to Start of Eruption.—
(l) Small-pox, in which the patient remains apparently well for eleven
or twelve days, then becomes feverish and sick, complains of pains in
the back for two or three days, when the eruption comes. Quarantine
period should be at least fourteen days, though proper isolation as soon
as the eruption appears usually proves efficacious.—(2) Chicken-pox,
in which the patient shows no symptoms for about twelve days, and is
then feverish for two or three days, the eruption appearing about the
fourteenth day. Quarantine period, therefore should be at least a
fortnight.—(3) Measles, in which the patient appears well for the first
ten days, followed by four days of fever and catarrh, also vomiting in
some cases, and then the eruption, occupying two or three days to develop
fully. Quarantine period should be two weeks, the actual patient
however, being infectious for three or four weeks after the appearance
of the rash.—(4) Rubella, or German measles, which remains latent
about thirteen days, followed by two days of feverishness, and then the
rash. Quarantine period sixteen or seventeen days.
Half-a-week from Inception to Initial Symptoms.—
(l) Scarlatina, latent two or three days; then feverishness, headache,
slight sore throat and stiffness of the neck for a day or two; finally
the characteristic florid rash. Infection remains often for many
weeks, but the period of quarantine for those exposed to it need not
be longer than one week.—(2) Diphtheria, similar in its early
stages to scarlatina, and generally first recognised by sore throat;
infectious usually for five weeks; quarantine period, one week.—