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2
MEASLES.
Measles is not the slight ailment it is usually supposed to be.
It kills every year three or four times as many persons as does
Scarlet Fever. From 10,000 to 17,000 persons are killed by this
disease in England and Wales every year, and it is quite safe to say
that by far the majority of these deaths are due to the manner in
which people look at this disease. Were they to look at it as the
serious disease which it is, there would be a saving every year of
many thousands of lives. It is very frequently the case that
when a child dies from Measles, it does so because its parents
have said when it was attacked, " Oh, it is only Measles," and
neglected the simple precautions which would have saved the
child's life. Of course, there are cases so severe tha.t in spite of all
precautions there is little hope of recovery, but these are few. It
is most dangerous in the case of very young children. There is
no greater or more pernicious superstition than that which is so
widely held, namely, that a child must have Measles. Rather
the contrary view should be held, that it is a disgrace to the
community that a child should suffer from thi 3 disease. No
condemnation can be too strong for the practice of wilfully
exposing other members of a family to this infection, which it
is to be feared is too frequently done.
PRECAUTIONS.
As Measles is highly infectious the first thing to do when a
child is attacked is to isolate it. It should be placed in a room by
itself and kept in bed. The room should be kept warm but well
ventilated. Except in the hottest weather a fire should be kept
burning in an open grate. On no account should the room be
kept warm by burning oil lamps or stoves. Bedroom windows
should be kept open and the bed so placed that the child is not
exposed to draught. Catching cold is most fatal to patients
suffering from Measles. Unless the mother or other attendant
can be constantly with the child, its clothing should be sufficiently