232 INFECTION AND IMMUNITY 



passed its fifth year, the mortality from measles would be enorm- 

 ously decreased. 



"It is therefore a great mistake because, as a rule, children 

 sooner or later have measles to say * The sooner the better,' 

 and to take no means to protect them, or even deliberately to 

 expose them to infection. 



" It is wrong for mothers with children in arms to go into 

 houses where measles exists. 



"Every child with measles ought at once to be put to bed and 

 kept warm. The mildest cases may be made serious by a chill. 

 Measles is for this reason most dangerous in winter and spring. 



"A case of measles continues infectious for at least three 

 weeks after the appearance of the rash. During that time separ- 

 ation from the healthy ought to be secured either by removal of 

 the sick to hospital or by isolation at home. 



" Isolation means not merely a separate room for the sick, but 

 the withdrawal of apparently healthy children from school (day 

 and Sunday) and the exclusion of strange children from the house. 



" The isolation, as far as possible, from other children of all 

 children belonging to the same family is more necessary in the 

 case of measles than of any other infectious disease, because of 

 this peculiarity/^ days before the rash comes out, the child is 

 highly infectious. 



" School teachers, especially, ought to be familiar with the 

 appearance of children in this stage of measles. 



"The eyes are watery, glistening, and sensitive to light; there 

 is a ringing cough, sneezing, and running from the nose, with 

 flushed face; in short, all the signs of a bad cold in the head. 



" No child showing these symptoms ought to be allowed to go to 

 school. 



" Any child observed at school with these symptoms ought to 

 be sent home at once. Such children are to be looked for more 

 particularly in the Infant Department. 



" DR. J. B. RUSSELL. 



" Sanitary Office, 



" Montrose Street, Glasgow, 

 "January, 1897." 



