GROSS SUPERSTITION—In one of the streets of Taunton, there resides a man and his wife who have the care of a child This child was attacked with scarlatina, and to all appearance death was inevitable. A jury of matrons was as it were empanelled, and to prevent the child 'dying hard' all the doors in the house all the drawers, all the boxes all the cupboards were thrown wide open, the keys taken out and the body of the child placed under a beam, whereby a sure, certain, and easy passage into eternity could be secured. Watchers held their vigils throughout the weary night, and in the morning the child, to the surprise of all, did not die, and is now gradually recovering.
These old women—this jury of matrons—stumbled on the right remedy, "all the doors in the house….were thrown vide open," and thus they thoroughly ventilated the apartment. What was the consequence? The child who, just before the opening of the doors, had all the appearances "that death was inevitable," as soon as fresh air was let in showed symptoms of recovery, "and in the morning the child, to the surprise of all, did not die, and is now gradually recovering." There is nothing wonderful—there is nothing surprising to my mind—in all this. Ventilation—thorough ventilation—is the grand remedy for scarlatina! Oh, that there were in scarlet fever cases a good many such old women's—such a "jury of matrons'"—remedies! We should not then be horrified, as we now are, at the fearful records of death, which the Returns of the Registrar General disclose!]
If the weather be either intensely cold, or very damp, there is no objection to a small fire in the grate provided there be, at the same time, air—an abundance of fresh air—admitted into the room.
Take down the curtains of the bed, remove the valances. If it be summer time, let the child be only covered with a sheet. If it be winter time, in addition to the sheet, he should have one blanket over him.
Now for the throat—The best external application is a barm and oatmeal poultice How ought it to be made, and how applied? Put half a tea-cupful of barm into a saucepan, put it on the fire to boil; as soon as it boils, take it off the fire, and stir oatmeal into it, until it be of the consistence of a nice soft poultice; then place it on a rag, and apply it to the throat, carefully fasten it on with a bandage, two or three turns of the bandage going round the throat, and two or three over the crown of the head, so as nicely to apply the poultice where it is wanted—that is to say, to cover the tonsils. Tack the bandage: do not pin it. Let the poultice be changed three times a day. The best medicine is the Acidulated Infusion of Roses, sweetened with syrup:—
Take of—Dilated Sulphuric Acid, half a drachm;
Simple Syrup, one ounce and a half;
Acid Infusion of Roses, four ounces and a half:
To make a Mixture. A table-spoonful to be taken every four hours.
It is grateful and refreshing, it is pleasant to take, it abates fever and thirst, it cleanses the throat and tongue of mucus, and is peculiarly efficacious in scarlet fever; as soon as the fever is abated it gives an appetite. My belief is that the sulphuric acid in the mixture is a specific in scarlet fever, as much as quinine is in ague, and sulphur in itch. I have reason to say so, for, in numerous cases I have seen its immense value.
Now, with regard to food.—If the child be at the breast, keep him entirely to it. If he be weaned, and under two years old, give him milk and water, and cold water to drink. If he be older, give him toast and water, and plain water from the pump, as much as he chooses; let it be quite cold—the colder the better. Weak black tea, or thin gruel, may be given, but not caring, unless he be an infant at the breast, if he take nothing but cold water. If the child be two years old and upwards, roasted apples with sugar, and grapes, will be very refreshing, and will tend to cleanse both the mouth and the throat Avoid broths and stimulants.
When the appetite returns, you may consider the patient to be safe. The diet ought now to be gradually improved. Bread and butter, milk and water, and arrowroot made with equal parts of new milk and water, should for the first two or three days be given. Then a light batter or rice pudding may be added, and in a few days, either a little chicken or a mutton chop.