Even when a case is quarantined, the people sometimes neglect the instructions given, just as they do when there is a case of diphtheria. Then there are cases that are known to be scarlet fever but are not reported to the health officers, because the people do not want to be quarantined. They simply do not want to be put to any inconvenience themselves, and although this seems a very strange way for people to act, it happens very often. There are many selfish people in the world; there are even people who will not report a case of scarlet fever because to do so might prevent their going to a party. Selfishness is at the bottom of it. It is extremely important that a child should be absolutely free from all the little scales of skin which are thrown off after scarlet fever, before he returns to school or mingles again with others. If there is a discharge from the nose or ears after the scales have disappeared from the skin, there is still danger of spreading the disease, for these discharges often retain the infection for many months. =Questions.= 1. Give two reasons why mild cases of scarlet fever should be carefully treated. 2. Why is quarantine necessary? 3. How does selfishness lead people to spread scarlet fever? 4. When is it safe to let a scarlet fever patient mingle with well people? =Remember.= 1. If you have scarlet fever and are not very sick, do not think that you will not be dangerous to others; severe cases sometimes come from exposure to the mildest cases. 2. Mild cases of scarlet fever often leave very bad results, if the patient is not cared for. 3. Be very careful until you are entirely well. 4. Scarlatina and scarlet rash are nothing but scarlet fever; keep away from people who have them. 5. Quarantine is the only way by which we can prevent the spread of scarlet fever; there is no medicine that will prevent it. 6. People who violate quarantine regulations are both selfish and stupid. CHAPTER XXVIII MEASLES AND WHOOPING COUGH DANGEROUS DISEASES Measles is a disease in the same class as scarlet fever. We do not know the cause, but we do know that it is communicable. [Sidenote: Why measles should be avoided] Measles is usually not a severe disease; that is, it does not kill as many persons in proportion to the number of cases as does scarlet fever. It does, however, kill more people than most of us think; a great many little babies die of it. How often we hear mothers say, "I wish my children would have measles and be done with it." It would be very convenient if they could have measles in a mild way and "be done with it." The trouble is, that we cannot tell whether it will take a mild form, and, worse than this, we do not know when they will be done with it.