The spots come in cropsthat is, when the later
ones come those which have been out a few days
are progressing through the blister, pustule or
drying up process. So one may see all stages of
the eruption in the same person after the first
few days. In small-pox, the patient usually feels
very ill before the breaking out occurs. The
breaking out comes all at once or within less than
twenty-four hours. All spots look alike. At first
red and hard, and later watery then full of pus.
The patient feels somewhat better when the erup
tion first appears in smallpox, but when the spots
begin to fill up with pus the patient becomes very
ill again.
Altogether a patient with chicken pox usually
goes through the whole process in a week or some
times a little less. The fever is seldom high, and
indeed sometimes is scarcely noticeable. In small
pox the fever is high before the breaking out and
again at the time the spots fill with pus In small
pox when the spots swell into blisters the center is
depressed like a bellybutton, and this is never true
in chicken pox. Chicken pox should be treated
by keeping the child quiet, at home, in bed if feel
ing badly, and avoid extreme cold or dampness.
Very seldom is any medicine needed. Rarely a
couple doses of sweet spirits of niter for fever,
and of course a laxative like castor oil
Prevention is the best remedy for all disease,
and even**though the trouble is as simple as chick
en pox, there is no good reason for needlessly ex
posing a child to the disease. There are and have
been quite a few cases on the reservation.
