RUBEOLA is the namegiven 'by Sauvages, in 1768, to the disease known as measles [Meastss]. He was followed by Wiliam, Bateman, and other writers on exanthcmatous diseases. Previous to the time of Sauvages the measles was called morbilli, a name which is at present adopted by many medical writers. The term rubeola has been re cently applied by Dr. Copland and other writers, to a disease which has been called by Hildebrand and other German writers Riitheln. This disease possesses characters in common with measles and scarlet fever, and is supposed to be a hybrid disease originating in the poisons of these two diseases. However much such a theory may bo open to criticism, there seems to be no doubt in the minds of many writers that the disease is very frequent, and that it is confounded with its two parent diseases. The definition of this disease is given by Dr. Aitken, in his 'Science and Practice of Medicine.' " A specific eruptive disease preceded by and accompanied with fever, watery dis charges from the eyes and nose, sneezing, and sore throat. The erup tion appears on the third or fourth day, and consists of crimson stigmata, rapidly running together into patches of an irregular shape, with obtuse angles, and of sizes varying from a threepenny to a crown piece, according to the severity of the case. The eruption continues
from six to ten days, and terminates in desquamation by furfuraceous scales." The distinction between this disease and scarlet fever and measles has been pointed out by Dr. Paterson of Edinburgh, and by Dr. Heim of Berlin. The premonitory fever is longer than in scarlet fever, and about the same time as measles ; scarlet fever appearing on the second day, rubeola and morbilli on the third or fourth. The rash is more easily confounded with scarlatina than morbilli. It seldom however is of a uniform red as in the first, and the spots are larger than in measles. The eruption in scarlatina and measles remains but three days, whilst in rubeola it remains from five to ten days. The sore throat is a marked symptom of rubeola in its mildest forms, whilst this symptom is very slight in mild cases of scarlatina, and altogether absent in measles. Dropsy is a frequent attendant on scarlatina, hut very rare in rubeola, whilst affections of the lungs are common in measles but not in rubeola.
Like scarlet fever it is sometimes a rapidly fatal disorder. The treatment of thia disease must be similar to that of scarlet fever. In mild cases little needs to be done. [SCARLATINA ; MEASLES.]