How to nurse a child, or, The management of children and their diseases / by Alexander Milne.

  • Milne, Alexander.
Date:
1880
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: How to nurse a child, or, The management of children and their diseases / by Alexander Milne. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    202/256 (page 182)
    tating the bowels and depressing the circulation; and in a slower way, by inducing gangrene or mortification of the mouth—a grave disease, which we treat of in another part of this book. We warn parents and nurses against the employment of this medicine with- out due advice. There are safer medicines, such as rhubarb, castor-oil, manna, scammony, etc., which they can employ with benefit and without danger. Digitalis, or Foxglove.—This is a medicine which we believe is rarely given, unless under the direction of the doctor; but in case any non-professional persons may happen to employ it, we shall give a hint regard- ing the dangers attending it. It is what is termed a cumulative medicine; that is to say (like chloral), it does not pass quickly out of, but accumulates in the system; and although a good many doses may be given safely, a time comes when the drug has gathered in the body to a poisonous extent, and death may sud- denly take place. Blisters.—These require to be used cautiously in the young. They should only be applied under medi- cal advice. Children are blistered much sooner than adults; and if the blister be kept too long on, ulcera- tion may result; nay, worse, in some cases mortifica- tion has ensued, ending in death. Blistering paper alone should be used. Poultices, or Cataplasms.—A word of caution is needed under this head. We have seen hot fiannel, bran, linseed-meal, porridge, mustard, etc., so recklessly applied as to produce blistering to an alarming and