‘DISEASES OF ADULT LIFE. ‘311 
sometimes contagious. It is divided into different forms, 
according to the degree of its severity, or the cause that 
produced it. Where it appears as a red remaining blush 
without fever, it is. called erythema ; when the skin reddens, 
swells, and sometimes blisters, .1t 1s erysipelas proper; if it 
sinks to the deeper tissues and ulcerates, it is called 
phlegmonous ; if the swelling is soft and doughy, putting on 
pressure, it 1s cedematous. The symptoms which generally 
precede an attack are chill, fever, lassitude, shivering, head- 
ache, coated tongue, followed by hot skin, quick pulse, thirst, 
pain in the back and limbs, the skin becomes red or purplish, 
and a severe smarting, tingling, burning sensation, with 
stifiness, is felt. Swelling now begins. If in the face, the 
features may be unrecognisable, and the eyes closed, watery 
blisters, resembling scalds or small blebs; sometimes the 
throat may swell and be painful. When the deeper tissues are 
affected matter may form, and the outer part slough off. In its 
worst form, when the head is attacked, delirium, followed 
by coma comes on, and the patient may die of effusion on the 
brain. 
The causes of this distressing and sometimes fatal disease 
may be classified as intemperance, exposure to cold, especially 
after being in a heated place, want of cleanliness and attention 
to the skin, violent mental emotions, disordered digestion, 
wounds, and primary retention of waste products in the 
system. 
Treatment: The purest air, water, and food, light, nourish- 
ing, and farinaceous, must be had. See that the stomach, 
bowels, and kidneys are in good order. Bed-clothes and 
garments must be first changed and kept clean. Persons 
having cuts or abrasions of the skin, and women near 
confinement, should not come too near, nor should those 
attending serious cases visit and handle anyone with skin 
broken, without first taking every reasonable precaution, such 
as washing, changing clothes, and disinfecting, according to 
the severity of the case they have been attending. 
