III. HYGIENE OF THE SKIN. Care of the mouth, eyes and ears.
Ventilation, temperature, cleanliness, care of napkins, etc.
IV. TRAINING OF CHILDREN in proper bodily habits. Simple means of
treatment in sickness, etc.
8. THE CRY OF THE SICK CHILD.--The cry of the child is a language by which
the character of its suffering to some extent may be ascertained. The
manner in which the cry is uttered, or the pitch and tone is generally a
symptom of a certain kind of disease.
9. STOMACHACHE.--The cry of the child in suffering with pain of the stomach
is loud, excitable and spasmodic. The legs are drawn up and as the pain
ceases, they are relaxed and the child sobs itself to sleep, and rests
until awakened again by pain.
10. LUNG TROUBLE.--When a child is suffering with an affection of the lungs
or throat, it never cries loudly or continuously. A distress in breathing
causes a sort of subdued cry and low moaning. If there is a slight cough it
is generally a sign that there is some complication with the lungs. {316}
11. DISEASE OF THE BRAIN.--In disease of the brain the cry is always sharp,
short and piercing. Drowsiness generally follows each spasm of pain.
12. FEVERS.--Children rarely cry when suffering with fever unless they are
disturbed. They should be handled very gently and spoken to in a very quiet
and tender tone of voice.
13. THE CHAMBER OF THE SICK ROOM.--The room of the sick child should be
kept scrupulously clean. No noise should disturb the quiet and rest of the
child. If the weather is mild, plenty of fresh air should be admitted; the
temperature should be kept at about 70 degrees. A thermometer should be
kept in the room, and the air should be changed several times during the
day. This may be done with safety to the child by covering it up with
woolen blankets to protect it from draft, while the windows and doors are
opened. Fresh air often does more to restore the sick child than the
doctor's medicine. Take the best room in the house. If necessary take the
parlor, always make the room pleasant for the sick.
14. VISITORS.--Carefully avoid the conversation of visitors or the loud and
boisterous playing of children in the house. If there is much noise about
the house that cannot be avoided, it is a good plan to put cotton in the
ears of the patient.
15. LIGHT IN THE ROOM.--Light has a tendency to produce nervous
irritability, consequently it is best to exclude as much daylight as
possible and keep the room in a sort of twilight until the child begins to
improve. Be careful to avoid any odor coming from a burning lamp in the
night. When the child begins to recover, give it plenty of sunlight. After
the child begins to get better let in all the sunlight the windows will
admit. Take a south room for the sick bed.
16. SICKNESS IN SUMMER.--If the weather is very hot it is a good plan to
dampen the floors with cold water, or set several dishes of water in the
room, but be careful to keep the patient out of the draft, and avoid any
sudden change of temperature.
17. BATHING.--Bathe every sick child in warm water once a day unless
prohibited by the doctor. If the child has a spasm or any attack of a
serious nervous character in absence of the doctor, place him in a hot bath
at once. Hot water is one of the finest agencies for the cure of nervous
diseases. {317}
[Illustration]
18. SCARLET FEVER AND MEASLES.--Bathe the child in warm water to bring out
the rash, and put in about a dessertspoonful of mustard into each bath.
19. DRINKS.--If a child is suffering with fevers, let it have all the water
it wants. Toast-water will be found nourishing. When the stomach of the
child is in an irritable condition, nourishments containing milk or any
other fluid should be given very sparingly. Barley-water and rice-water are
very soothing to an irritable stomach.
20. FOOD.--Mellin's Food and milk is very nourishing if the child will take
it. Oatmeal gruel, white of eggs, etc. are excellent and nourishing
articles. See "How to cook for the Sick."
21. EATING FRUIT.--Let children who are recovering from sickness eat
moderately of good fresh fruit. Never let a child, whether well or sick,
eat the skins of any kind of fruit. The outer covering of fruit was not
made to eat, and often has poisonous matter very injurious to health upon
its surface. Contagious and infectious diseases are often communicated in
that way.
22. SUDDEN STARTINGS with the thumbs drawn into the palms, portend trouble
with the brain, and often end in convulsions, which are far more serious in
infants than in children. Convulsions in children often result from a
suppression of urine. If you have occasion to believe that such is the
case, get the patient to sweating as soon as possible. Give it a hot bath,
after which cover it up in bed and put bags of hot salt over the lower part
of the abdomen.
23. SYMPTOMS OF INDIGESTION.--If the baby shows symptoms of indigestion, do
not begin giving it medicine. It is wiser to decrease the quantity and
quality of the food and let the little one omit one meal entirely, that his
stomach may rest. Avoid all starchy foods, as the organs of digestion are
not sufficiently developed to receive them.
* * * * *
{318}
A Practical Rule for Feeding a Baby on Cow's Milk.
Cow's milk is steadily growing in favor as an artificial food. Country milk
should be used instead of milk purchased in town or city.
RULE--Take the upper half of milk that has stood an hour of two, dilute,
not hardly as much as a third, with sweetened water, and if there is a
tendency to sour stomach, put in a teaspoonful of lime water to every
quart. The milk and water should both be boiled separately. If the baby is
constipated, it is best to heat the milk over boiling water and not allow
it to boil.