1. Out of every 1000 persons that died during the year of 1912, 175
did not reach one year of age, and 244 died under five years of age.
What a fearful responsibility therefore rests upon the parents who
permit these hundreds of thousands of children to die annually. This
terrible mortality among children is undoubtedly largely the result
of ignorance as regarding to the proper care and treatment of sick
children.
2. For very small children it is always best to use homoeopathic
remedies.
_COLIC._
1. Babies often suffer severely with colic. It is not considered
dangerous, but causes considerable suffering.
2. Severe colic is usually the result of derangement of the liver in
the mother, or of her insufficient or improper nourishment, and it
occurs more frequently when the child is from two to five months old.
3. Let the mother eat chiefly barley, wheat and bread, rolled wheat,
graham bread, fish, milk, eggs and fruit. The latter may be freely
eaten, avoiding that which is very sour.
4. A rubber bag or bottle filled with hot water put into a crib,
will keep the child, once quieted, asleep for hours. If a child is
suffering from colic, it should be thoroughly warmed and kept warm.
5. Avoid giving opiates of any kind, such as cordials, Mrs. Winslow's
Soothing Syrup, "Mother's Friend," and various other patent medicines.
They injure the stomach and health of the child, instead of benefiting
it.
6. REMEDIES.--A few tablespoonfuls of hot water will often allay a
severe attack of the colic. Catnip tea is also a good remedy.
A drop of essence of peppermint in 6 or 7 teaspoonfuls of hot water
will give relief.
If the stools are green and the child is very restless, give
chamomilla.
If the child is suffering from constipation, and undigested curds of
milk appear in its faeces, and the child starts suddenly in its sleep,
give nux vomica.
An injection of a few spoonfuls of hot water into the rectum with
a little asafoetida is an effective remedy, and will be good for an
adult.
_CONSTIPATION._
1. This is a very frequent ailment of infants. The first thing
necessary is for the mother to regulate her diet.
2. If the child is nursed regularly and held out at the same time of
each day, it will seldom be troubled with this complaint. Give plenty
of _water_. Regularity of habit is the remedy. If this method fails,
use a soap suppository. Make it by paring a piece of white castile
soap round. It should be made about the size of a lead pencil, pointed
at the end.
3. Avoid giving a baby drugs. Let the physician administer them if
necessary.
_DIARRHOEA._
Great care should be exercised by parents in checking the diarrhoea of
children. Many times serious diseases are brought on by parents being
too hasty in checking this disorder of the bowels. It is an infant's
first method of removing obstructions and overcoming derangements of
the system.
_SUMMER COMPLAINT._
1. Summer complaint is an irritation and inflammation of the lining
membranes of the intestines. This may often be caused by teething,
eating indigestible food, etc.
2. If the discharges are only frequent and yellow and not accompanied
with pain, there is no cause for anxiety; but if the discharges
are green, soon becoming gray, brown and sometimes frothy, having
a mixture of phlegm, and sometimes containing food undigested, a
physician had better be summoned.