The diseases of children : a short introduction to their study / by James Frederic Goodhart.

  • Goodhart, James Frederic, 1845-1916.
Date:
1888
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The diseases of children : a short introduction to their study / by James Frederic Goodhart. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    mother’s breasts—^it may be remecliecl by feeding the uifant during the day, and putting it to the breast only night and morning; and if witli this reduction there is still but a scanty meal for the child, hand- rearing must be taken to altogether. The flatulent colic of indigestible food may he pre- vented by further dilution of the milk ; by the addition of an alkali, such as lime-water or bicarbonate of soda; or by the addition of barley-water or gelatine. Those things which tend to thicken the food slightly are most successful, probably, as Dr. Eustace Hmith states, by preventing the formation of large masses of curd. When the pain is very severe the colic m.ay be re- lieved by warmi2ig the feet; by a warm linseed-meal poultice to the abdomen ; by twenty or thii'ty drops of brandy in a little warm milk and water; sometimes by a teaspoonful of acjua chloroformi. Where there is any suspicion of the retention of irritating material in the intestine some castor oil must be given. This may usually be prescribed after the formula given (F. 3), but if it be also accompanied by griping, it may be associated with a minute dose of opium, three drops of the tincture in a three-ounce mixtiu-e, a drachm to be given twice or three times a day (F. 4) to a child of nine months to a year old. If the col- lapse be severe, the bowels should bo ev.acu.ated at once by an enema—the child being well wrapped in blankets the while. In all cases of flatulent colic it is e.ssential to see that the child is kept warm, it is not only necessary to encase the legs and abdomen in flannel, but to see that the wraps ai'c retained in posi- tion. It often happens that a flannel binder is put upon the abdomen and sewn on, as it is thought, .se- curely, but it (juickly slips up, and the abdomen is left quite uncovered, as may easily be proved by putting the hand under the clothes of h.alf a dozen babies consecutively. Ag.ain, the feet .arc wrapjied quite pro- perly in worsted socks, and arc then .allowed to get wet