Measles, diphtheria, scarlet fever, chicken pox, and whooping cough

Measles, diphtheria, scarlet fever, chicken pox, and whooping cough by Weaver is a concise public-health guide written in the early 20th century. It outlines the causes, spread, recognition, prevention, and basic care of the most common childhood contagions.

The book opens with shared principles: each disease is caused by a specific germ; people vary in susceptibility; carriers and early, often unrecognized stages drive spread; and isolation, hygiene, and, where available, vaccination or testing help prevent outbreaks. Measles is shown as extremely contagious, spreading via respiratory secretions before the rash, with Koplik spots, a catarrhal phase, and risks like pneumonia and ear infection; care is supportive, and passive immunity from convalescent blood can blunt illness. Diphtheria is caused by a toxin‑producing bacillus that forms throat membrane and can damage heart and nerves; early antitoxin saves lives, quarantine lasts until cultures are clear, and the Schick test with toxin‑antitoxin injections builds lasting immunity. Scarlet fever, due to a streptococcus, spreads through secretions and sometimes milk, begins suddenly with sore throat, fever, a bright red “sandpapery” rash, strawberry tongue, and swollen neck glands; complications include ear disease, nephritis, and heart injury; prevention uses isolation plus the Dick test and toxin immunization, with supportive care and occasional convalescent serum. Chicken pox features crops of superficial blisters mainly on the trunk, a long incubation, few serious complications, and is distinguished from smallpox by mixed stages and distribution; isolation continues until all scabs fall. Whooping cough brings paroxysmal cough with a whoop, greatest danger in infants from pneumonia and convulsions; spread is via cough droplets, a vaccine may lessen severity, and treatment focuses on fresh air, easing paroxysms, nutrition, and supportive measures like an abdominal binder.