Cough in Measles.—­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.

[Infectious diseases 179]

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.

German measles.—­This is an acute self-limited disease and contagious.  It has a mild fever, watery eyes, cough, sore throat and enlargement of the glands of the neck, not seen in the common measles.  It has an eruption that may come the first day to the fourth.

Incubation Period Runs.—­From fifteen to twenty days.