TREATMENT OF COMPLICATIONS AND SEQUELÆ.—Local measures designed to diminish or cure the pharyngitis are important in all but the mildest cases. They are more especially required in the anginose variety and in those not infrequent cases in which diphtheria complicates scarlatina. Formerly it was necessary, in making applications to the fauces, to employ the brush or probang for those too young to use the gargle, but hand-atomizers, as Richardson's or Delano's, which are now in common use, afford a quick and easy method for making such applications. Six or eight compressions of the bulb of a good atomizer are sufficient to cover the fauces with the spray. Those hand-atomizers in the shops which have slender metallic points are apt to prick the buccal surface and cause bleeding if the child resist and toss the head. To prevent this, I am in the habit of directing india-rubber tubing to be drawn over the point in such a way as not to obstruct its action. The following will be found useful mixtures for the atomizer: For ordinary cases,
| Rx. | Acidi Carbolici | drachm ss, vel. Acid. Boracic. drachm ii; |
| Potass. Chlorat. | drachm ii; | |
| Glycerinæ | fl. oz. ii; | |
| Aquæ | fl. oz. vi. M. |
If the surface of the throat be covered by foul secretions,
| Rx. | Acidi Carbolici | drachm ss; |
| Potass. Chlorat. | drachm ii; | |
| Glycerinæ | fl. oz. j; | |
| Aquæ Calcis | fl. oz. vii. M. |
Or else,
| Rx. | Tinc. Ferri Chloridi | fl. oz. ss; |
| Acidi Sulphurosi | fl. drachm ii; | |
| Potass. Chlorat. | drachm ii; | |
| Glycerinæ | fl. oz. i; | |
| Aquæ q. s. ad. | fl. oz. vi. M. |
If diphtheritic exudation complicate the scarlatinous angina, or the surface of the throat in consequence of ulceration or necrosis present an appearance like that in diphtheria when the exudation begins to soften, being foul, jagged, of a dirty brown appearance from dead matter and fetid secretions, the following should be prescribed for use in the atomizer:
| Rx. | Acidi Carbolici | drachm i, vel. Acidi Boracici drachm iii; |
| Liq. Potassæ | fl. drachm i; | |
| Potass. Chlorat. | drachm ii; | |
| Glycerinæ | fl. oz. ii; | |
| Aquæ Calcis | fl. oz. viii. M. |
Liquor potassæ, although a very efficient solvent of pseudo-membranes, is too irritating for use in the atomizer unless largely diluted. One part to eighty, as in the above mixture, will not be found too concentrated. The following powder, used every third hour through the insufflator, is also useful in cases of diphtheritic exudation: