Cough in Measles
Categories:
Infectious Diseases
It is likely to be severe, straining and barking and
hard to relieve. If it is too severe you can give, for a child one year
old:
Acetanelid 1/2 dram
Dover's Powder 1/2 dram
Mix and make into thirty powders.
Give one-half powder every two hours when awake or restless.
2. For a child two years old:
Paregoric
2 to 5 drops
Syrup Ipecac 3 drops
Mix.
Give every three hours, according to age, one to three hours for a child
two years old.
3. For Irritation of the Skin. Sponge once a day with water at 100
degrees F. containing a little alcohol or a pinch of sodium bicarbonate or
soda.
4. For Scaling. Use ointment of benzoinated lard, combined with five per
cent of boric acid.
Diet. The food should be light; milk, broths, and when the fever is gone
chicken and soft boiled eggs, jelly, toasted bread, crackers, cereals,
with cocoa for drink. Orange juice or lemon juice may be given in
moderation. Milk, one pint per day for every fifty pounds in weight of the
patient, during a fever sickness, is a safe and liberal allowance. Smaller
children in proportion. Mothers will be apt to give too much and it may
then prevent rest and steep. When the fever subsides you can give more
milk and some of the above foods. Water, as before stated, can be given
for the thirst quite frequently.
Teas. The laity gives lots of these to bring out the rash. It seems to me
before the rash is out the patient is feverish and chilly and the skin is
dry, and a small amount of tea given every hour or two might do good
unless the patient is made warmer. There are many varieties given. Elder
blossom seems to have the call. For some time after the patient is well he
may be bothered with a cough; it better be looked after if it continues,
for there might be bronchitis or some lung trouble left and unknown.
Caution. A person who has had the measles or German measles, should be
very careful about taking cold, for if they do they are liable to have
serious trouble, especially in the chest. It is very easy to take
bronchitis or pneumonia during and after an attack of measles. The mucous
membrane of these parts is left somewhat swollen and it remains
susceptible to disease for some time. "An ounce of prevention is worth a
pound of cure." Remain in the house three or four days longer than may
seem necessary and you will be paid for so doing by having good bronchial
tubes and lungs,--as good as before if you were careful during the attack.