Scarlet Fever in 1817

Sapphire135 · Feb 19, 2015

I have a heroine who had an illness three years ago that left her prone to shortness of breath and generally frail and weak. Sort of like Beth in Little Women who recovered from a bout of Scarlet Fever, but was very weak afterward and eventually died.

Does anyone know what other side effects one might experience after suffering through Scarlet Fever? And would you still be suffering from them three years later? (If, for example, the fever caused weakness in your lungs or some other permanent damage?)

I have not had much luck finding period appropriate answers to this.

Thanks in advance!

Usher · Feb 19, 2015

Kidney issues, depending on her age stunted growth, rheumatic fever... I had Scarlet Fever when I was two and have been suffering post-viral fatigue ever since.

screenscope · Feb 19, 2015

I had Scarlet Fever when I was 10, but fortunately I have not experienced any ongoing symptoms. I can't even remember being ill, but my mother tells me I suffered strange hallucinations for a few days.

I'm sorry you are still suffering, Usher. I suspect being older helped me recover, though I am aware there could be some lingering surprises in my future due to the condition.

TellMeAStory · Feb 20, 2015

Most of us have had scarlet fever.

Nowadays, it presents merely as sore throat with rash. it's presumed that the strain of strep that caused Mary of the Little House books to go blind has mutated to become less harmful to us.

Beth of Little Women--and maybe I'm just assuming this because I haven't read LW in years--died of consumption, that is, tuberculosis. But there's no reason she couldn't have had both, that is, scarlet fever followed by TB.

So Sapphire, if what you want is a disease that leaves you short of breath, TB might be an excellent choice.

Usher · Feb 20, 2015

TellMeAStory said:
Most of us have had scarlet fever.

Nowadays, it presents merely as sore throat with rash. it's presumed that the strain of strep that caused Mary of the Little House books to go blind has mutated to become less harmful to us.

.

They still don't know where mine came from but it was an older strain. The only reason I wasn't hospitalised was my aunt and mum were nurses -- the GP visited me twice a day. I had daily injections and was very ill for a full a two weeks. I know I wasn't well enough for them to worry about me scratching initially.

It stunted my growth for about two years.

Sapphire135 · Feb 20, 2015

TellMeAStory said:
Beth of Little Women--and maybe I'm just assuming this because I haven't read LW in years--died of consumption, that is, tuberculosis. But there's no reason she couldn't have had both, that is, scarlet fever followed by TB.

So Sapphire, if what you want is a disease that leaves you short of breath, TB might be an excellent choice.

Thanks TellMeAStory. Beth actually did have scarlet fever and not consumption. She was nursed through it, however, it weakened her to such an extent that she died later on. That is sort of what I was hoping for my character (minus the death. I just wanted more detail about the illness from that period than I can find. I had thought about using TB, as you suggested, but consumption is too serious for what I need for the character.

Thanks everyone for the responses!

TellMeAStory · Feb 20, 2015

Ah, Screenscope, I had no intention of implying that your scarlet fever was minor. Clearly, it wasn't.

Usher, how about exercise-induced asthma? They won't have that name for it in 1817, but recurring problems with shortness of breath will surely be familiar.

Usher · Feb 20, 2015

TellMeAStory said:
Ah, Screenscope, I had no intention of implying that your scarlet fever was minor. Clearly, it wasn't.

You have us back to front but you're right

most cases of Scarlet Fever within living memory are a much more minor illness than most cases in 1817.

Unimportant · Feb 20, 2015

Sapphire135 said:
I have a heroine who had an illness three years ago that left her prone to shortness of breath and generally frail and weak. Sort of like Beth in Little Women who recovered from a bout of Scarlet Fever, but was very weak afterward and eventually died.

Does anyone know what other side effects one might experience after suffering through Scarlet Fever? And would you still be suffering from them three years later? (If, for example, the fever caused weakness in your lungs or some other permanent damage?)

I have not had much luck finding period appropriate answers to this.

Thanks in advance!

I think rheumatic fever is/was not an uncommon follow-on from scarlet fever. This Nature paper might be helpful. This site looks pretty useful, too.

StephanieFox · Feb 20, 2015

And then...there's always measles.

StephanieFox · Feb 20, 2015

Here's something:
In the majority of cases there are no complications. If any occur, they may include:

Ear infection, including otitis media
Pneumonia
Throat abscess - a pus-filled sac in the throat
Sinusitis
Inflammation of the kidney(s) - poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis, resulting from certain byproducts of strep bacteria. In some cases there may be long-term kidney disease.
Rheumatic fever
Some skin infections.

The following complications are possible, but very rare:

Acute kidney (renal) failure
Meningitis - inflammation of the membranes and fluid that surround the brain and spinal cord.
Necrotizing fasciitis - commonly known as flesh-eating disease
Toxic shock syndrome
Endocarditis - infection of the heart's inner lining
Infection of the bone and bone marrow (osteomyelitis)
PANDAS (Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections) - according to the Mayo Clinic, USA, some research has indicated that strep bacterial infection may trigger an autoimmune response that exacerbates symptoms of certain childhood disorders, such as OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), Tourette syndrome and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). The increase in symptoms does not usually last for more than a few weeks or months.

This is from Medical News Today.

Mr Flibble · Feb 20, 2015

Not the 1800s but my Dad distinctly remembers having to go to hospital for Scarlet Fever the day after Guy Fawkes (so 6th November) and coming out two days after his birthday in March (he remembers because they had to burn all his presents)

This would have been late 1930s

It;s not a short illness

Scarlet Fever in 1817

Sapphire135

Usher

screenscope

TellMeAStory

Usher

Sapphire135

TellMeAStory

Usher

Unimportant

No COVID yet. Still masking.

StephanieFox

Maybull the Bulldog

StephanieFox

Maybull the Bulldog

Mr Flibble

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble