It is a higly contagious disease afflicting children at their tender age. There is a general belief, though quite unfounded and misplaced, that if a child gets measles once, he won't have another attack again, but there have been many instances when such beliefs have proved wrong. If the first attack is mild, the second one will generally come simply to complete the job left undone/partly done by the preceding attack. The disease rarely infects an adult, though a few cases where even elder persons were infected, even when they had severe and full blown attack of measles at the infancy stage.

Causes and Symptoms:

Vitiated pitta and cough cause this infection. At the initial stage, there is appearance of running from nose (acute catarrh), watering from the eyes and epistaxis (though rare) may also follow in rare cases.

Pulse is fast and rapid.

Temperature is as high as 40C or even still higher.

Restivity, thirst and headache.

Eruptions are of dusky red/crimson colour, slightly elevated from above the skin.

Face is bloated and swollen and there is acute pruritis.

First of all such rashes appear on cheeks. chin, brows, behind the ears, on the lip. The Rashes may appear within the mouth and throat which severely pain and smart due to appearance of eruptions.

Cough may also persist and assume alarming proportion when eruptions appear in the mouth and throat.

Eruptions, when they appear in the eyes, are really problematic, agonising and itchy.

Patient craves cold water/drinks and wishes to be fanned quite often.

The acute stage, as above mentioned, lasts for 3-4 days whereafter reversed process sets in now the skin starts to peel off during the recovery stage. The disease may appear in malignant/severe form, giving rise to serious complications, particularly if lungs and bronchical tubes are also involved, and this state may prove even fatal.

Ayurvedic Cure

Some people boil equal quantity of Khoob kalan and Munakka (raisins) in water so as to cause and encourage quick appearance of rash; or only raisins may be given to the patient. In addition powders of turmeric and tamarind 350mg each as a single dose may be given thrice daily with hot water/milk or powder of liquorices may be given with honey. These devices are meant to precipatate appearance of eruptions. The patient may be enveloped with warm blankets or sheet to induce appearance of rash.

Take 125 mg each of Shringa Bhasma, Swarn Amakhshik Bhasma and Kasturi Bhairava, and 250mg of Saubhagyavati which will make a single dose. Repeat this dose after an interval of 4 hours (4 doses in 12 hours).