rom one another, or from a
common cold. The important thing to remember is that, theoretically
important as it may be to make this distinction, practically it isn't
necessary at all, as they should all be treated exactly alike in the
beginning. The only vital thing is to recognize that you are dealing
with an infection of some sort, isolate promptly the little patient, put
him to bed, and make your diagnosis later as the disease develops.
Fortunately neither scarlet fever nor measles usually becomes acutely
infectious until the rash appears, and as neither is particularly
dangerous to adults, especially to such as have had them already, a
one-room quarantine is sufficient for the first few days of any of these
diseases. We will lose nothing and gain enormously by adopting this
routine plan in all cases of snuffling noses, sore throats, headache,
and fever in children, for these are the early symptoms of all their
febrile diseases, from colds to diphtheria; all alike are infectious and
all, even to the mildest, benefited by a few days of rest and seclusion.

After this first general blare of defiance on the part of the system to
the enemy, whoever he may be, the battle begins to take on its
characteristic form according to the nature of the invader. We will take
first the campaign of scarlet fever, since this is the swiftest and
first to disclose itself. After the preliminary snuffles and headache
have lasted for a few hours, the temperature usually begins to rise; and
when it does, by leaps and bounds often reaching one hundred and four or
one hundred and five degrees within twelve hours, the skin becomes dry
and hot, the throat sore, the tongue parched, and the little patient
drowsy and heavy-eyed. Within from twenty-four to forty-eight hours a
bright red or pinkish rash appears, first on the neck and chest, and
then rapidly spreading all over the surface of the body within another
twenty-four hours.

Meanwhile the throat becomes sore and swollen, ranging, according to the
severity of the case, from a slight reddening and swelling to a furious
ulcerative inflammation, with the formation of a thick membrane-like
exudate, which sometimes is so severe as to raise a suspicion of
possible diphtheria. The tongue becomes red and naked, with the papillae
showing light against a red ground, so as to give rise to what has been
known as "the strawberry tongue." The temperature is usually high, and
the little patient when he drow