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1908]
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digestive tract. It is generally supposed to reside in the throat, nasal discharges,
and the skin. It can be transmitted either directly from the patient
or indirectly by articles which he has used during his illness, or by his clothing
and bedding; also that it may be transmitted to a distance by means of letters
or articles which the patient had handled.
The duration of the infectiousness of the patient varies very considerably,
sometimes lasting for months, but rarely less than five or six weeks; indeed, it
is not safe to consider any patient absolutely free from infection for less than
the last mentioned period. It sometimes happens that, despite the most careful
disinfection, the disease may crop up again after the lapse of many months,
though of course this is rare, especially when the walls of the infected rooms
have been stripped, the ceilings whitened, the bedding and clothing disinfected
by steam, and the floors thoroughly washed with disinfectants.
The following are the directions given for the prevention of this disease
in Islington:—
DIRECTIONS FOR PREVENTING THE SPREAD OF SCARLET
FEVER, ALSO KNOWN AS SCARLATINA.
SCARLET FEVER.
Scarlet Fever is one of the most, if not the most, infectious of the
infectious diseases. It possesses, like Small Pox and Measles, the power
to spread by infection from person to person.
The infection is present in the early days of the disease, and until it
has run its complete course.
It may be contracted from the sick by the healthy.
It may be conveyed by clothing or by any article, even by cups,
saucers, plates, etc., taken form the sick room that have not been disinfected.
Secretions from the mouth, throat, ears and nose, the peelings of the
skin, probably the urine, convey the infection.
It attacks persons of all ages, but particularly children under five years
of age.
It is fatal to about 17 in every 100 of the children under 5 years
attacked, and to 4 in every 100 persons above this age.
It generally appears under one week after the person has been exposed
to its infection, but it may appear in a few hours. Usually the time is
three days.