Scarlet Fever

   

(Fig. 1) Scarlet Fever in children and how it was different from Measles.

What is Scarlet Fever?

  Scarlet fever, a bacterial infection which caused a strawberry rash on the skin and tongue (1), mainly affected the overpopulated urban areas during the 1800s. It spread world wide during 1820 to 80, due to the lack of modern medicine, causing the fatality rate to rise 30 percent or higher which was during the life of Mary Shelley. The disease itself was very feared during this time as it commonly spread in households once one person got it, mainly due to the contact with the skin sores and rashes that come with disease and how the pus would transfer from the sheets, clothes and even by simply having skin to skin contact. This disease caused many deaths and was their covid. 

How it Affected People in the 1800s

(Fig. 2) A mother/ nurse taking care  
of the sick child.

     During the time of the spread of scarlet fever, the disease mostly affected children and teenagers under 16 due to their weakened immune system and the overcrowding in schools. It also did not help if the children were in the same house especially during the 1800s where there was no medicine to help prevent the spread of the disease. Stated in Scarlet fever epidemics of the nineteenth century: a case of evolved pathogenic virulence?, "...children in the nineteenth century epidemics were known to succumb within as few as 48 hours in some cases." This shows how vulnerable children were during this time period and could be the leading factor on why the mortality rate was so high. It also shows how this was such a delicate time and having children meant some never seeing adulthood as in Mary Shelley's case where 3 of her 4 kids passed away due to different reason. Scarlet Fever Scourge of the 19th Century also states that for the treatment of scarlet fever for those who had it would have been, "put the patient to bed and keeping them at a constant temperature" (2). Also that food would have been via liquids only, "...taken off of solid food and fed rennet-whey, rice water or broth." This shows that it was truly the waiting game to see if whomever had the disease would get better on their own or if they'd simply pass away from the disease. Unlike now, where those suffering from scarlet fever would be given antibiotics. 

What was the cause of Scarlet Fever?

  According to Contagion Live: Infectious Diseases Today, the rise in scarlet fever cases in Europe, focused in England, was possibly caused by the lack of hygienic practices and the under develop medicine during the 1800s. However, as the medicine and hygiene improved the cases of scarlet fever and made the disease treatable and less likely to occur, and even as it has random cases flaring up in our society it is less fatal. Though there is no known cause and or origin from where the disease started as no records have been found which holds clues and could possibly get rid of the disease for good. Stating, "...they found no novel lineage or genetic feature to explain the recent epidemic." Scientist still have no idea where scarlet fever is even coming from as all of their research is coming to a dead end. This shows how people in the 1800s, although they did live in questionable conditions, had no way to see the disease coming or even be ready to create any remedies, nor did they hold the proper records to allow more knowledge of the disease. 

How was it added in Frankenstein?

    As evident in the novel, Frankenstein, Victor's mother ends up contracting the disease after caring for Elizabeth (3). Although Elizabeth ends up surviving Victor's mother does not adding to the mortality of those who were not strong enough to fight the illness. Which is fitting for the time that Shelley was writing, Frankenstein, as 1816 is when the outbreak was slowly beginning to rise and affect Europe. This was her time to see the struggles that others were going through and connect the real world into her novel itself. The addition of the disease really showed how contagious it was during this time especially with everyone warning Mrs. Frankenstein to not be anywhere near Elizabeth until she was fully recovered. It is safe to assume that she had fallen ill after skin to skin contact with any of Elizabeth's pus filled sores and without the proper hygiene there was no way to prevent it.

(Fig. 3) How the transfer between Victor's mother and Elizabeth happened.

Work Cited

    Keet, Einav. “Cause of England’s Scarlet Fever Epidemic Remains a Mystery.” Contagion Live, 1 Dec. 2017, www.contagionlive.com/view/cause-of-englands-scarlet-fever-epidemic-remains-a-mystery

    Swedlund, Alan C., and Alison K. Donta. “Scarlet Fever Epidemics of the Nineteenth Century: A Case of Evolved Pathogenic Virulence?” Human Biologists in the Archives: Demography, Health, Nutrition and Genetics in Historical Populations. Ed. D. Ann Herring and Alan C. Swedlund. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002. 159–177. Print. Cambridge Studies in Biological and Evolutionary Anthropology.

“Scarlet Fever Scourge of the 19th Century | Castle Bromwich Graveyard.” Castlebromwichgraveyard.co.uk, 6 Dec. 2019, castlebromwichgraveyard.co.uk/scarlet-fever-scourge-of-the-19th-century/.

Image:

    “Caroline Beaufort Frankenstein in Frankenstein | Analysis & Role | Study.com.” Study.com, 2023, study.com/academy/lesson/caroline-frankenstein-character-traits-analysis.html.

    Prinzi, Andrea. “Scarlet Fever: A Deadly History and How It Prevails.” ASM.org, 24 Jan. 2023, asm.org/Articles/2023/January/Scarlet-Fever-A-Deadly-History-and-How-it-Prevails