Acute rheumatism in children in its relation to heart disease.

Date:
1927
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Acute rheumatism in children in its relation to heart disease. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    68/114 (page 56)
    to be under treatment for rheumatism at the same time. The tendency of the disease to attack more than one member of the family has been noted in a Report by the Medical Research Council on the Social Conditions of Rheumatic Families, and in 400 families investigated in connection with this Report it. was. found that in one instance four children under 12 in one family were attending the hospital for rheumatism at the same time, three children in six instances, and two children in 57 instances, and although in this 1926 series precise figures have not been prepared, this feature was noticeable in going over the notes. The burden for the mother of securing proper rest and super- vision for these children is indeed a heavy one. Especially does. this burden seem to rest on the mother of children with chorea. These children are generally irritable, quarrelsome, and extremely difficult to control. They are afraid to be left alone for even the shortest time and the slightest opposition to their wishes results in scenes and tears, and they get “‘ on the nerves” of the entire family. Such conditions tell against their recovery and in time reduce the mother to such a state of despair that she will do anything for peace, and her attempts to secure an adequate amount of rest and quiet are abandoned. 5. F., born 1918.—This child originally attended in September, 1925, for tonsillitis and was recommended for operation at a later date. At the end of the month she was found to have chorea, and was sent home to bed. The home conditions were reported on as follows :—‘‘ The home consists of two rooms. There are four children, and F. usually sleeps in the same bed with two other sisters. There is a sofa on which it might. have been possible to arrange for her to sleep, but unfortunately one of her sisters has broken her arm recently and has to sleep on the sofa, so that there is not the smallest possibility of F. having a bed to herself. In addition to this, the mother and child are both thoroughly on edge and irritable, and the mother is now, of course, extra worried at having to nurse the child with the broken arm, and, I should fear, is not at all in a condition to undertake the nursing of F. The child is very fidgety and irritable, perpetually quarrelling with her younger brothers and sisters, until the mother hardly knows how to bear it. The mother said it was absolutely impossible to keep the child in bed. At the time the visitor called, she was, sitting up near the window, wrapped in an old coat of her father’s. Her bed is in a very dark corner of the room, and would certainly be a most depressing place to keep her in as she would not be able to see to read or do anything. The mother said she had to give in and humour the child in all sorts of ways in order to keep the peace. If she makes a tapioca pudding for her she cries for a rice one, and the mother goes away and makes one! She was making a rice pudding when visitor was there, and hoped that F. would not cry for tapioca! The crying need of the family appears to be separation of the mother and child for a time.”’ On next attendance the child was found to be worse and the following report was received :—-*‘ There does not seem to be the faintest hope of the child’s ever getting any better in her present surroundings, indeed, she is likely to get steadily worse. She was actually in bed, but she will not be left in a room alone, so her bed is in the kitchen, where the family life goes on its noisy way, a barking dog being one of the party. The other children came home from school and at once threw themselves on F.’s bed, asking to see the book the visitor had brought. A violent struggle over the book ensued, and the mother looked on helplessly and said: . ‘You see that is what always happens.’ The mother herself is very