Treatment.—In view of the dangers and complications attending it and its contagiousness, measles, no matter how mild, should be under medical supervision whenever practicable. Children suffering from measles should be kept in bed from six to ten days in a room the temperature of which is maintained at from Go° to 65° Fahr. This is most important, because a chill is likely to cause inflammatory disease of the chest. The light in the room in which the patient is kept must be shaded and the patient kept very quiet.
If the skin should itch very much, apply cold-cream or cocoa-butter. When the breaking out of the rash is delayed, give a hot bath and hot lemonade. If conjunctivitis appears, wash the eyes with boric acid (see EYE-WASH) ; if diarrhcea is present, give bismuth subnitrate, 5 grains, three times a day (see DIARRINEA) ; if bronchitis develops, give paregoric, from 5 to 20 drops according to age, three times a day (see also BRONCHITIS).
To control and relieve the cough, if it is frequent, dry, and distressing, apply linseed poultices to cover the chest or the back ; or use a croup-kettle to add steam to the atmosphere of the room ; also paint the back and sides of the throat with boroglycerine (dissolve part in 2 parts of water). A substi tute for this, when the patient is opposed to the painting, is the glycerine jujube. Where the skin is hot and very dry, sponge with tepid water, uncover ing only a small part of the body at one time. To relieve the swelling of the hands and tightness of the skin, use lanum or cold-cream.
In cases in which the rash develops slowly and the temperature of the patient is high, and lie breathes with difficulty, relief may be had by giving a hot mustard-bath (temperature ioo° Fahr.), with half an ounce of mustard to gallon of water ; duration of bath from three to four. minutes. Dry the patient quickly and place him in bed between blankets. In the matter of diet, this must be light, non-stimulating, and given in small quantities, but often. It should consist of milk, arrowroot, thin gruel, weak beef -tea, and chicken broth. Cooling drinks, which should not be given too freely, may- consist of barley-water or lemonade, raspberry-vinegar and water, or toast and water. Iced water may be given, but in moderation. As other complications may arise during or after an attack of measles, great care must be taken to guard the patient. Among these complications are bronchitis, bronchopneumonia, inflammation of the larynx, of the ears, or of the eyes (ophthalmia), or whooping-cough.
MENINGITIS.—Inflammation of the meninges, the covering membranes of the brain and the spinal cord. The word " meningitis " does not designate a single disease, but is used to indicate a number of different forms of infection of the inembranes of the brain having symptoms more or less similar.
b Tuberculous meningitis is found mostly in chiklren whose parents are .171berculous, or who come in contact with consmnptives. Failing health is one of the symptoms ; others are irritability and restlessness, loss of appetite, and headache. Frequently at night the child wakes suddenly with a sharp, high-pitched scream. Vomiting is present, the chitd is dull and apathetic, and lies with head pressed back on the pillow. The pupils are dilated or irregular, and the child begins to squint, convulsions occur, diarrlitea is present, the pulse is at first rapid, later slow and irregular, the tongue coated, and the sufferer falls into a mild delirium, and within four or five days (sometimes two weeks) dies. There is no remedy for this disease, but the symptoms which arise may be alleviated to some extent by a physician.
Epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis, known also as spotted fever and malignant purpuric fever, is an infectious disease clue to the bacterium Ditto coccus intracellularis. The symptoms of this disease begin usually with a headache, severe chills, pain in the back, and \vomiting. The back of the neck becomes stiff, and every movement is attended with pain. Sensitiveness to noise and light is excessive, and restlessness and peevishness are marked. Spasms of the nmscles occur, accompanied by paralysis of the ocular muscles, which causes the patient to squint. The temperature rises suddenly to lob° Fahr. or ev211 higher ; in children the pulse is feeble and rapid ; in adidts it is often slow. Early in the course of the fever a reddish eruption resembling measles sometimes occurs. Occasionally the spots resemble typhoid rash, and sometimes rare forms of skin-eruptions are observed.
Treatment.—Place an ice-bag at the back of the neck, or the top of the head. Sometimes the pain is relieved by the ice-bag placed along the spine. If the pulse is weak and rapid, whisky, 2 drachms every WO hours, may be given, well diluted. For the high temperature, tepid alcohol sponge-baths given every three hours are distinctly beneficial. The withdrawal of fluid from the spinal canal, which can be clone only by a surgeon, is often of great aid in relieving symptoms, and in improving the condition of the patient. Until very recently the death-rate was So or 90 per cent. ; in cases which recovered no remedy could be credited with a definite power of healing. Within a year or two the serum treatment seems to have lowered the death-rate notably, but it is 1.00 SOOD 1.0 judge,