It is more dreaded in a household, and justly so, than any other disease of childhood, though, indeed, it is not limited in its occurrence to early life, and instances are familiar to us all in which the mother, devoting herself to the care of her little ones, has herself fallen a victim to the poison. I do not think it so directly contagious, from person to person, as small-pox, chicken-pox, or measles, but its infection appears to be specially abiding in its character, and to cling longer to the clothes, the bedding, and even the room of a scarlet fever patient, than that of the other eruptive fevers, except perhaps small-pox. It is an object of special dread also for two other reasons. One of these reasons is the extreme and causeless variations in its severity; so that I have known more than one or two children in the same family to have it so slightly as scarcely to be ill, two to have their lives placed in jeopardy, and two to die. The other reason for special dread is that the mildness of the disease at its outset affords but a slight guarantee against the occurrence of serious complications in its course, and still slighter against secondary diseases which may follow in its train, and either destroy life directly, or leave behind some irremediable mischief. Scarlatina has been divided by medical men into three classes, according to its different degrees of severity; the mild--that accompanied with bad sore-throat--and the malignant variety. We have specially to do with the first of the three; for it is in it only that there is danger of the disease being overlooked, or mistaken. The symptoms of scarlatina usually appear within three days after exposure to its contagion, and there is very good authority for believing that the interval never exceeds six days. I should not, however, feel quite secure until after the lapse of ten days, and during this time the child ought to be isolated from his brothers and sisters. In the mildest form of the disease the appearance of the rash upon the surface, usually with, but sometimes even without slight sore-throat and feverishness, may be the first indication of an affection which is sometimes so deadly. In the majority of cases, however, it is ushered in by vomiting once or oftener, accompanied by headache, heaviness, of head, great heat of skin, and some measure of sore-throat. The brain is easily disturbed in children, as has already been said, and delirium at night during the first twenty-four hours of an attack of scarlet fever need not excite anxiety, for it then often passes away, and the disease runs a perfectly favourable course. The continuance of delirium later is an attendant only on the graver forms of scarlet fever.