CAUSE.——This disease, like the small-pox, proceeds from infection, and is more or less dangerous according to the constitution of the patient, the season of the year, the climate, &c.
SYMPTOMS.——The measles, like other fevers, are preceded by alternate fits of heat and cold, with sickness, and loss of appetite. The tongue is white, but generally moist. There is a short cough, a heaviness of the head and eyes, drowsiness, and a running at the nose. Sometimes indeed the cough does not come before the eruption has appeared. There is an inflammation and heat in the eyes, accompanied with a defluxion of sharp rheum, and great acuteness of sensation, so that they cannot bear the light without pain. The eye-lids frequently swell so as to occasion blindness. The patient generally complains of his throat; and a vomiting or looseness often precedes the eruption. The stools in children are commonly greenish; they complain of an itching of the skin, and are remarkably peevish. Bleeding at the nose is common, both before and in the progress of the disease.
About the fourth day, small spots, resembling flea-bites, appear, first upon the face; then upon the breast, and afterwards on the extremities: these may be distinguished from the small pox by their scarcely rising above the skin. The fever, cough, and difficulty of breathing, instead of being removed by the eruption as in the small pox, are rather increased; but the vomiting generally ceases.
About the sixth or seventh day from the time of sickening, the measles begin to turn pale on the face, and afterwards upon the body; so that by the ninth day they entirely disappear. The fever; however, and difficulty of breathing, often continue, especially if the patient has been kept upon too hot a regimen. Petechiæ, or purple spots, may likewise be occasioned by this error.
A violent looseness sometimes succeeds the measles; in which case the patient’s life is in imminent danger.
Such as die of the measles generally expire about the ninth day from the invasion, and are commonly carried off by a peripneumony, or inflammation of the lungs.
The most favourable symptoms are a moderate looseness, a moist skin, and a plentiful discharge of urine.
When the eruption suddenly falls in, and the patient is seized with a delirium, he is in the greatest danger. If the measles turn too soon of a pale colour, it is an unfavourable symptom, as are also great weakness, vomiting, restlessness, and difficulty of swallowing. Purple or black spots appearing among the measles are very unfavourable. When a continual cough, with hoarseness, succeeds the disease, there is reason to suspect an approaching consumption of the lungs.
Our business in this disease is to assist Nature, by proper cordials, in throwing out the eruption, if her efforts be too languid; but when they are too violent they must be restrained by evacuations, and cool diluting liquors, &c. We ought likewise to endeavour to appease the most urgent symptoms, as the cough, restlessness, and difficulty of breathing.
REGIMEN.——The cool regimen is necessary here as well as in the small-pox. The food too must be light, and the drink diluting. Acids however do not answer so well in the measles as in the small-pox, as they tend to exasperate the cough. Small beer likewise, though a good drink in the small-pox, is here improper. The most suitable liquors are decoctions of liquorice with marsh-mallow roots and sarsaparilla, infusions of linseed, or of the flowers of elder, balm-tea, clarified whey, barley-water, and such like. These, if the patient be costive, may be sweetened with honey; or, if that should disagree with the stomach, a little manna may occasionally be added to them.