744 PLAIN FACTS FOR OLD AND YOUNG 



CROUP 



Symptoms.— Ki first, those of a slight cold or 

 catarrh,— slight fever, hoarseness, cough, running at 

 the nose ; after a few hours, fits of coughing, increased 

 hoarseness, and harassed respiration, spasm of the 

 muscles of the throat; characteristic symptoms now 

 appear,— brassy, ringing, or barking cough, accompa- 

 nied with a crowing sound, increased fever, embarrass- 

 ment of the respiration, irregularity of the pulse, fea- 

 tures expressive of distress, patient worse at night and 

 better toward morning; in fatal cases, drowsiness in- 

 creases, breathing becomes more embarrassed, lungs 

 congested, skin covered with cold sweat; finally, coma, 

 asphyxia, and death. 



Causes. — The causes of croup are not thoroughly 

 understood. Many physicians now believe it to be 

 identical with diphtheria. It is well known that in 

 many cases, at least, croup is contagious, and hence 

 should be treated as a contagious malady like diph- 

 theria, scarlet fever, or smallpox. It occurs most fre- 

 quently in children from two to six years of age, more 

 often in boys than in girls. The disease is character- 

 ized by the formation of a false membrane in the larynx 

 and trachea. It sometimes also affects the pharynx. 

 The danger to life is from suffocation. 



Treatment. — The old treatment, by applying anti- 

 mony, mercury, and blisters, was in the highest degree 

 unsuccessful. According to Tanner, one-half the per- 

 sons treated by this plan died. The disease is a very 

 severe one and sometimes difficult to manage, but with 

 proper treatment from the first, few cases will prove 

 fatal. 



Apply hot water to the throat by means of sponges 



