Fig. 60. One of the ways by which quarantine is broken.
How confusion of names causes mild cases to go undetected
We often hear people speak of two diseases which they think are not scarlet fever. These two diseases are scarlatina and scarlet rash. Now scarlatina is simply the scientific name for scarlet fever. Some doctors will tell you that you have scarlatina and that it is not exactly scarlet fever. A doctor who says this either is deceiving you or does not know any better. In either case, he ought not to be a doctor, for he lets children be exposed to a disease that is likely to kill many of them. It is the same with scarlet rash. This, too, is simply another name for scarlet fever. Changing the name does not change the disease, and you may call it scarlet fever, scarlatina, or scarlet rash—it makes no difference which; the disease is one and the same.
Why quarantine is necessary for scarlet fever
Quarantine is the only way known for preventing the spread of scarlet fever, as well as of diphtheria. If every case of scarlet fever were quarantined, we could soon stop this disease; but every case is not quarantined, because some of them are so mild that they are not recognized.
How breaking quarantine shows selfishness
Even when a case is quarantined, the people sometimes neglect the instructions given, just as they do when there is a case of diphtheria. Then there are cases that are known to be scarlet fever but are not reported to the health officers, because the people do not want to be quarantined. They simply do not want to be put to any inconvenience themselves, and although this seems a very strange way for people to act, it happens very often. There are many selfish people in the world; there are even people who will not report a case of scarlet fever because to do so might prevent their going to a party. Selfishness is at the bottom of it.
It is extremely important that a child should be absolutely free from all the little scales of skin which are thrown off after scarlet fever, before he returns to school or mingles again with others. If there is a discharge from the nose or ears after the scales have disappeared from the skin, there is still danger of spreading the disease, for these discharges often retain the infection for many months.
Questions. 1. Give two reasons why mild cases of scarlet fever should be carefully treated. 2. Why is quarantine necessary? 3. How does selfishness lead people to spread scarlet fever? 4. When is it safe to let a scarlet fever patient mingle with well people?