Treatment.—Rest in bed, light diet, and one full dose of laudanum, i.e., thirty drops, given as early as possible. Chlorodyne in the same dose may also be used. Quinine is useless and may aggravate the symptoms, but aspirin and the salicylates are helpful. If there is much pain in the muscles the application of hot sand-bags may afford relief.
Scarlet Fever, or Scarlatina.
This fever is very uncommon in hot climates.
Incubation period, three to eight days. Rash appears second day.
Symptoms.—The rash consists of numerous minute red spots, evenly distributed all over the surface of the body, upon a general rose-red blush. The area immediately surrounding the mouth is not affected. Shivering fits, sickness, high temperature, sore throat, headache, pains in the back. The sickness is very characteristic in children. After the rash has subsided, peeling of the skin takes place, beginning on the face as a very fine powdery deposit. The process then spreads to other parts of the body, the last places to peel being the palms of the hands, the soles of the feet, and between the fingers and toes. The peeling process takes from four to six weeks, and the patient is infectious during the whole of this period.
Treatment.—Isolation. Bed in an airy room. Light food. If the fever is high (104° F.), the body may be sponged with tepid water. If the throat is very inflamed, an antiseptic gargle should be used. As the course of infectious fevers cannot be cut short, the chief aim of treatment should be to avert complications and the return of distressing symptoms—over-treatment with drugs must be guarded against.
To prevent the spread of infection from the peeling surface, the body should be rubbed over with boracic ointment, or carbolic or olive oil.
Complications.—As scarlet fever may be followed by heart, kidney, or ear trouble, the patient should not be allowed to get up until at least ten days after the temperature has become normal.
Scorpion Sting and Spider Bite.
Scorpion sting is not infrequent in hot countries, but is very rarely fatal in the case of the adult European unless several stings have been received at one time.