Every woman who has the care of a little child should learn the following from the physician or nurse: use of clinical thermometer, bedpan, giving of enema, massage, dressing and bathing of bed patient, bandaging, first aid in serious cuts, fractures, broken limbs, drowning. There should always be at least one room in the house with washable walls, sunny exposure, and without carpets, heavy draperies or upholstered furniture, that can be used for an isolation sick room in emergency.
Symptoms of Illness and Their Immediate Care. When several symptoms are evident at once, the matter is more urgent. It is usually advisable to have the doctor call, rather than to expose the sick child to the change of temperature, dust, excitement of crowds, or danger of infecting others. In severe injury, secure any medical assistance in quickest way.
| Discharge from nose | C (?)[35] 1 |
| Discharge from eyes with inflammation | C (?) 1 |
| Swollen lids, inflamed, yellow discharge | C[36] 3 |
| Sore throat | C 2 |
| Pain in or behind ears | 1 |
| Swollen glands in neck | 1 |
| Persistent cough | C (?) 1 |
| Persistent lassitude | C (?) 1 |
| Loss of appetite | 1 |
| Loss of weight | 1 |
| Severe or frequent earache | 2 |
| Headache with delirium | 3 |
| Stupor or dullness | 2 |
| Chills, with or without fever | C (?) 2 |
| Fever with languor, loss of appetite | C (?) 2 |
| Nausea with fever | C (?) 2 |
| Convulsions | 3 |
| Eruptions | C (?) 2 |
| Cramps and vomiting may be poisoning | C (?) 3 |
| Persistent pain in feet or legs | 1 |
| Swelling of feet and legs | 2 |
| Black, or bloody stools | 2 |
| Claylike stools | 1 |
| Constipation (48 hours, not yielding to home care) | 1 |
| Green stools, diarrhea | 3 |
| White vaginal discharge | 2 |
| Bleeding from mouth or rectum | 2 |
| Frequent bleeding from nose | 1 |
| Pain at urinating | 1 |
| Retention of urine (24 hours) | 1 |
| Injuries: | |
| Fall, especially of young child | 3 |
| Blow on head, severe | 3 |
| Deep cut, needing stitches | 3 |
| Deep burn | 3 |
| Excessive bleeding | 3 |
| Wound of rusty instrument | 2 |
| Bite of animal | 2 |
1. Notify doctor. 2. Call doctor. 3. Get doctor immediately; urgent.
When a child shows even slight symptoms of illness, isolate and keep in bed for a day in a well-ventilated room. This avoids changes of temperature, requires less work of heart and nerves, removes pressure upon spinal nerves, and gives the body better opportunity to combat the lowered vital condition.
Communicable Diseases to which Children are Especially Susceptible
| Disease | Early Symptoms[37] | Possible Complications | Special Precautions |
| Bronchitis | (G)[38] Nasal discharge, slight fever, hard, dry cough, lack of appetite. | Pneumonia. | Fresh air, warmth. |
| Incubation: 2 to 3 days. | |||
| Isolation: Till discharge ceases. | |||
| Influenza | (S)[39] Chill, fever. Discharge from nose, eyes; lassitude, general pains. | Irritated nasal passages; weakened resistance; earache, mastoiditis; bronchitis. | Warmth, fresh air. |
| Incubation: 2 to 3 days. | |||
| Isolation: Till discharge ceases. | |||
| Pneumonia | (S) Severe chill, cold and pain in chest, usually left side; high fever, languor. Respiration quick and painful. Sometimes short, dry, painful cough, vomiting, convulsions. | Increased susceptibility to tuberculosis. | Windows wide open; open fire; avoid weighting chest with poultices or clothing. Avoid gas stove. |
| Incubation: 5 to 8 days. | |||
| Isolation: Till discharge ceases. | |||
| Tuberculosis | (G) Anemia, poor appetite, loss of weight, persistent cough. Sometimes limping. | Stunted growth; bone defects. | |
| Incubation: 1 to 6 months. | |||
| Isolation: Not necessary if discharges are burned, dishes disinfected. | |||
| Whooping Cough | (G) Running eyes, nose; headache, weariness; dry cough develops in about two weeks, sometimes without the whoop. | Broncho-pneumonia, hemorrhage, hernia. | Elastic abdominal band. Food after paroxysm if previous feeding not retained |
| Incubation: 1 to 14 days. | |||
| Isolation: 6 weeks. Until 2 weeks after cough has ceased. | |||
| Diphtheria | (G) Lassitude, headache; usually sore throat, yellow or gray-white patches; sometimes sudden high fever, convulsions, purulent nasal discharge. | Heart, kidneys, ears, broncho-pneumonia. | Recumbent position during fever. Avoid nasal douches. Anti-toxin. |
| Incubation: 2 to 10 days. | |||
| Isolation: 2 weeks. Until culture is negative on two successive days. | |||
| Tonsillitis | (S) Swollen inflamed tonsils. Chills, fever, headache, general pains. | Forms of rheumatism; heart disease, nephritis, St. Vitus’ Dance. | Rest in bed. |
| Isolation: 1 week. | |||
| Chicken pox | Eruptions on body. Sometimes fever, nausea, headache. | Kidney disorders; persistent sores from infecting skin. | Cut finger nails short; anoint skin. |
| Incubation: 11 to 21 days. | |||
| Isolation: Until all scabs are gone. | |||
| Measles | (G) Discharge from nose; eyes reddened, sensitive to light; dry cough. Eruptions first inside cheeks; fine body rash on fourth day. Sometimes chill, fever, hoarseness, malaise. | Weakened eyes; pneumonia, bronchitis, tuberculosis. | Protect eyes with amber glasses, or darken room. Warmth (70°). |
| Incubation: 7 to 18 days. | |||
| Isolation: 2 weeks from appearance of rash. Until discharges disappear. | |||
| Scarlet Fever | (S) or (G) Fever, nausea, red throat, loss of appetite; eruptions on second day. Sometimes convulsions, diarrhea, white ring around mouth. | Impairment of hearing, sight; kidney or heart weakness. | Prevent infection of ears. Report immediately decrease in urine. |
| Incubation: 1 to 8 days. | |||
| Isolation: 6 weeks. Till all peeling, sore throat, and discharges disappear. | |||
| Infantile Paralysis | (G) Stupor, profuse sweating, numbness or paralysis of limbs, difficulty in swallowing. Sometimes convulsions, headache, vomiting. | Paralysis. | |
| (Polyomyelitis) | |||
| Incubation: 2 to 7 days. | |||
| Isolation: 6 weeks. | |||
| Meningitis | (S) Headache, nausea and vomiting; fever, prostration, rapid pulse, unconsciousness in few hours or days. Sometimes convulsions. | Paralysis, deafness, mental defects, pneumonia. | |
| Incubation: 2 to 7 days. | |||
| Isolation: 6 weeks. | |||
| Mumps | (G) Fever, malaise, dizziness, drowsiness, vomiting or diarrhea. Glands near ear swell 1 to 8 days later. | Infection of ear, deafness. Infection of reproductive glands, causing sterility. | |
| Incubation: 10 to 25 days. | |||
| Isolation: 3 weeks. 1 week after swelling subsides. | |||
| Syphilis | (G) Anemia, malnutrition, chronic nasal discharge and snuffles. | Diseases of bones, nerves, blood; destruction of any organs, paralysis. | |
| (Congenital) |
Communicable diseases may be conveyed by discharges, especially from nose and mouth, and in breath; also in vomitus, discharges from eyes and ears, feces, urine, and blood. May be contagious several days before serious symptoms appear in acute cases; and may be carried in throat and mouth many months and conveyed by persons showing no symptoms.
To Prevent Contagion. (1) Avoid exposing the child to any one who has a contagious disease. (2) Do not take young children (under seven, at least) into crowds, busy streets, city dust, or street cars. (3) Household employees, especially child’s nurse, cook, kitchen employee, or laundress, should be selected with regard to their health; a thorough health examination for the child’s caretaker, unless personally well known or professionally trained, is the only safeguard. (4) No one with a cold, sore throat or other symptoms of contagious disease should be with a young child or prepare its food. (5) Keep special handkerchiefs for each child and never use any one else’s for it. (6) Teach scrupulous individual use of cups, spoons, forks, wash cloths, towels, handkerchiefs, whistles, and not to use wash basin for brushing teeth. (7) Avoid pacifiers; wipe toys daily. (8) Clean the child’s finger nails daily, and always wash his hands before eating. (9) Attendant should always wash hands before preparing food, giving medicine, caring for eyes, nose, mouth, or wounds; and after care of diapers, toilet, wounds. (10) Milk and water supply should be carefully guarded; unless assured pure, milk must be pasteurized, water boiled. (11) Avoid cats or dogs for young children’s pets.
Disease germs can thrive in the mucus, in some tissues, or in the blood. They may enter (1) through the nose, (2) the mouth, (3) a break in the skin. The sick person may convey them (1) from the mouth, by coughing, by a kiss, or on cups, spoons, forks, napkins, towels; (2) in mucus from the nose, in sneezing, or on handkerchiefs; in discharges from eyes or ears; (3) in cases of intestinal infections, from intestinal discharges; (4) venereal disease, from break in skin, from open sore, from suppurating infected eyes; (5) from discharge of boils; (6) scales from skin probably only in smallpox or chicken-pox; (7) on fingers. (8) Germs of contagious diseases are sometimes carried in water, ice, milk, or dust. (9) Cats and dogs easily carry disease germs.