CONTAGIOUS DISEASES

_What are the first symptoms of measles?_

Measles comes on rather gradually with cough, sneezing, watery eyes
and nose, much like an ordinary cold in the head. The eruption appears
after three or four days, first upon the face and neck as small red
spots, and spreads slowly over the body.

_Is measles a serious disease?_

In infants and during the winter season it is likely to be very
serious on account of the danger of bronchitis and pneumonia, which
frequently accompany it. In children over four years old it is
generally not severe. No child should be voluntarily exposed to this
disease, and particularly one who is delicate or prone to disease of
the lungs should be protected against it.

_When and how is measles contagious?_

Measles may readily be conveyed from the very beginning of the
catarrh, two or three days before any eruption is present. It is not
often carried by healthy persons. Its poison does not cling long to a
sick room.

_What is German measles?_

German measles, or rubella, is a distinct disease and has nothing to
do with ordinary measles. It is extremely rare for a child to be much
sick with it. There is usually a very extensive eruption which may