A characteristic eruption, distinctive of symptoms, appears on the chest and body, usually after the fifth day. By the peculiar features of this eruption, the disease may be identified and distinguished from typhoid. The appearance of the eruption somewhat resembles that of measles, but has mixed with it numerous minute spots like flea-bites. The stress of typhus is on the brain, as manifested by the early occurrence of severe headache, delirium, painful dreams, sleeplessness, twitching of the muscles, and, lastly, coma. The bowels, usually, are confined, a condition the reverse of what is observed in typhoid. Cough and shortness of breathing direct attention to the organs of respiration, inflammation of the lungs of a low and insidious character, being one of the most frequent and most dangerous complications of this fever. Typhus fever has no definite duration, like typhoid, but generally declines in fourteen days, although some cases last many days longer. Treatment. — .^ well ventilated apartment is essential to the success of treatment, and should by any means be secured. In the winter time a fire should be kept burning, as it not only supplies warmth, but it secures a change of air in the apart- ment. The tendency of typhus being towards depression and prostration of the nervous energies, the point in treatment is to support the vital powers by beef tea, milk, port wine, or brandy. The dose and the frequency of the repetition of the stimulants must be guided by their effects on the pulse. In cases where the debility is extreme and the pulse very rapid, a judiciously administered dose of alcohol will give it force and reduce its frequency. In this case the dose should be repeated at intervals of two or three hours, closely watching the effect on the pulse. In cases in which the debility is not so intensely marked, wine may be omitted, and the patient supported on milk, beef tea, soups, etc. Mild aperients should be given if the bowels be costive, and for medicine, four or five grains of carboriace of ammonia, dissolved in water, should be given every four hours. The head symptoms — e. g., headache, delirium and sleep* lessness — will be relieved by blistering the back of the neck. (See Blistering.) If the head be hot, ice-cold water should be MEmciNAt, ^76 fconstantiy applied. If the excitement of the brain prevent sleep, a small dose of Dover's powder at bed-time will have a soothing effect, and perhaps favor perspiration. If there is cough and symptoms signifying that the chest is becoming affected, mustard-plasters should be applied. We repeat, how- ever, that the most important of all measures is good nursing and careful dieting. The infection of typhus may be guarded against by the free use of disinfectants, such as carbolic acid or Condy's fluid (see Disinfection), and by free ventilation, which is of the first importance, and goes a long v/ay to prevent the spread of all sorts of infectious diseases.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

A characteristic eruption, distinctive of symptoms, appears on the chest and body, usually after the fifth day. By the peculiar features of this eruption, the disease may be identified and distinguished from typhoid. The appearance of the eruption somewhat resembles that of measles, but has mixed with it numerous minute spots like flea-bites. The stress of typhus is on the brain, as manifested by the early occurrence of severe headache, delirium, painful dreams, sleeplessness, twitching of the muscles, and, lastly, coma. The bowels, usually, are confined, a condition the reverse of what is observed in typhoid. Cough and shortness of breathing direct attention to the organs of respiration, inflammation of the lungs of a low and insidious character, being one of the most frequent and most dangerous complications of this fever. Typhus fever has no definite duration, like typhoid, but generally declines in fourteen days, although some cases last many days longer. Treatment. — A well ventilated apartment is essential to the success of treatment, and should by any means be secured. In the winter time a fire should be kept burning, as it not only supplies warmth, but it secures a change of air in the apartment. The tendency of typhus being towards depression and prostration of the nervous energies, the point in treatment is to support the vital powers by beef tea, milk, port wine, or brandy. The dose and the frequency of the repetition of the stimulants must be guided by their effects on the pulse. In cases where the debility is extreme and the pulse very rapid, a judiciously administered dose of alcohol will give it force and reduce its frequency. In this case the dose should be repeated at intervals of two or three hours, closely watching the effect on the pulse. In cases in which the debility is not so intensely marked, wine may be omitted, and the patient supported on milk, beef tea, soups, etc. Mild aperients should be given if the bowels be costive, and for medicine, four or five grains of carbonate of ammonia, dissolved in water, should be given every four hours. The head symptoms — e. g., headache, delirium and sleep* lessness — will be relieved by blistering the back of the neck. (See Blistering.) If the head be hot, ice-cold water should be MEmciNAt, ^76 constantly applied. If the excitement of the brain prevent sleep, a small dose of Dover's powder at bed-time will have a soothing effect, and perhaps favor perspiration. If there is cough and symptoms signifying that the chest is becoming affected, mustard-plasters should be applied. We repeat, however, that the most important of all measures is good nursing and careful dieting. The infection of typhus may be guarded against by the free use of disinfectants, such as carbolic acid or Condy's fluid (see Disinfection), and by free ventilation, which is of the first importance, and goes a long way to prevent the spread of all sorts of infectious diseases.

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