A practical treatise on diseases of the skin / by John V. Shoemaker.

  • John Veitch Shoemaker
Date:
1888
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A practical treatise on diseases of the skin / by John V. Shoemaker. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by University of Bristol Library. The original may be consulted at University of Bristol Library.

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    but it may occur in adult life. It is produced by a specific poison, and propagated by contagion. One attack is protective against sub- sequent attacks, but the development of rotheln does not secure im- munity from measles or scarlatina. Treatment.—The majority of cases do not require any treatment but rest and a light diet, and confinement to the house for a few days. In the more severe, where the patient is restless and decidedly fever- ish, and complains of sore throat, a mild diaphoretic mixture should be ordered, and the bowels opened freely by a saline laxative. Prognosis.—The prognosis is always favorable. SCARLATINA. Synonyms.—Scarlet fever—Scarlet rash. Scarlatina is an acute, contagious febrile disease, characterized by the development of a diffused scarlet rash over the whole or the greater part of the body, accompanied by inflammation of the throat and vari- ous nervous phenomena, and terminating in desquamation of the outer layers of the epidermis. Symptoms.—There are three well-marked varieties of the disease : scarlatina simplex, scarlatina anginosa, and scarlatina maligna. The invasion is exceedingly brief in all three varieties. The period of in- cubation varies from three to sev^n days; that of contagion extends from the beginning of the initial fever until about a week after all febrile symptoms have disappeared. In scarlatina simplex the disease is ushered in by a slight chill, or by an attack of aj^parently causeless vomiting ; or, in nervous children, by convulsions. These symptoms pass away in an hour or two, and are immediately followed by fever, which soon becomes high. The face is flushed, the skin hot and dry, the pulse rapid and full, and the respirations become more frequent. The urine is scanty and high-col- ored, and the bowels are usually constipated. The tongue is red at the tip and edges, but covered in the centre with a white or yellowish fur. The throat is reddened, the cervical glands are enlarged, and there is some pain on swallowing. More or less headache and restless- ness are also present. The temperature varies from 101° to 103° Eahr.. with a slight morning remission and evening exacerbation. The pulse varies with the height of the fever and the age of the patient. In some cases it reaches 130, in others it does not rise above 100. The characteristic eruption appears on the second day of the fever. It consists of a fine ])ale-red or scarlet efflorescence, which appears first on the face and neck and upper part of the chest, and within twenty- four hours diffuses over the entire surface of the body. In some cases it may present a punctated appearance, but it is not elevated, and it dis- appears upon pressure. It is most intense in the flexures of the joints.
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