The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1868-03-19

The CrOupy Season.

a common cold settling it-elf in the
windpipe and spending all its force
there. Why it should tend to the
throat in them, rather than to the
lungs, as in some grown persons, and
to the head Of others, giving one man
influenza, another pleUrisy,a a third fa~
hammatiOn of the lungs, and fourth
some lower form of fever, is not so inn
pOrtant as to know the cause Of Group,
and the means Of avoiding it. The
very sound of a crOUpy cough Is per
fectly terrible to any mother who has
ever heard it once. In only forty
eight hours it may carry a child from
perfect health to the grave. Group
always originates in a cold, and in
nine cases out of ten this cold is the
result of exposure to damPness, either
Of the clothing or of the atmosphere
most generally the latter, and partic-
ularly that form Of it which prevails
in thawy weather, when snow IS on
the grounds or about sundOwII in the
early spring season. At mid d-day the
the bright sun lures the children out
of doors, and, having been pent up all
winter, hilarity and VigOr Of eGer~
else are induced much beyond what
they have been accustomed to recently
They do not feel either tired or cold;
but evening approaches, the cold OF
which cOndenses the atmosphere con-
tained in the air, this rapidly abstracts
the heat from the body of the child,
and with a doubly deleteFiOus impress
sion; for not only is the body cooled
too quickly, but by reason of the pre-
viOus exercise, it has been wearied,
md has lost a great deal Of its power
to resist cold; hence the child is chilli
ed. Exercise has given it an unusual
IpPetite, hearty supper Is taken, and
in the night. the reaction Of the chill
of the evening before sets in and gives
fever; the general system is oppressed,
not only by the hearty meal, but by
the inability of the stomach to digest
it, and fever, oppression and exhaus-
ton, all combined, very easily sap
away the life of child. In fact, It
may yet be found, when the nature Of
liphtheFia is better known, that it is q
typhoid CrOup-rnalignant Group.
Children should be kept as warmly
clad, at least until May, as in depth
of winter; they should not be allowed
to remain out of doors later than sum
down, when they should be brought
into a warm room, their feet examin-
ed and made dry and warm, their
supper taken, and when sent to bed,
not to go outside the doors until next
morning after breakfast. During Feb
ruary, March, and until the middle Of
April, especially when snow is on the
ground, children under eight years Of
lage should not be allowed to be out
Of doors at all, later than 4 o'clock in
the afternoon, unless the sun is shin
ing, or unless they are kept in bodily
motion, so as to keep off the feeling of
chilIiness. We have never lost q
child, but feel it must be a dreadful
calamity. Young mothers seldom
get over the loss of a first-bOr Sure,
then, it is worth all the care suggested
lin this article, to avert a calamity
which is to be felt until we die. The
lcOmmOnest sense dictates the instant
sending for a physician in case of an
attack from Group, but the moment a
messenger is dispatched, have three or
four fanneIs, dip them in water as
hot as your hand can bear, and apply
them successively to the throat Of the
Ichild, hot all the time, so as to evap-
crate the matters which, If retained,
: cause the cIOgging up inside, which
soon stops the breath. Hot water
should constantly be added to that in
which the flannels are thrown, so as
to keep it all the time hot Keep the
water from dripping on the clothing Of
the child, and see that the feet are
. dry and warm. Most likely the child
, will bp'Out Of danger before the ply
sician arrives, and it is pleasanttO be
able to turn over the responsibility on
him. Loose cough, freer breathing,
and a c0piOus discharge Of phlegm, in
> diCate relief and safety.
CrOug seldom comes on suddenly
Generally it ha3 at first no other symp-
toms than those of common cold
but the very moment the child is seer
to carry his hand towards the throat
q indicating discomfort there, it should
be treated accordingly. When a chilC
is sick of anything, no physician car
tell where that sickness will end. 81
it is with cold. 1t may appear Il
I be very light one indeed; still it may
end fatally in Group, putrid sore throat
or diDbtheria. The moment a mOthel
, observes crOupy symptoms in a chile
of from two to eight years, the especia
crOupy age, she should keep the chilC
in her own room, by her own side, da!
e and night, not allowing the child 70
; a moment to go outside of the doors
q keeping it comfortably warm, so tina
no chillness nor draft of air shall com
. over it. Light food should be eater
: no meats or hot bread or berries. Th
whole body, the feet especially, shOUlu
be kept warm all the time Rubin
20 drops Of sweet oil into the skin owe
! the breast patiently with the hands tw
:, or three times a day, often gives tn
J most marked relief in a cold, thus pre-
venting Group. Such a course prompt
ly pursued will promptly cure almOs
any cold a child will take, and vii
( seldom fail to ward of effectually, il
! ! a day or two, what would Otherwis
/ have been a fatal attack of Group, wit
. its ringing, kissing, barking sound, ant
= its uneasy, oppressive, and labOrini
breathing, none of which can ever b
mistaken when once heard. Many
sweet child is lost thus: The parent
are aroused at dead of night with
cough that suggests Group; but itseem
. to pass of, and in the morning the,
q wake up with a feeling Of thankfu
deliverance from a boding i'll. Th
child runs about all day as if perfectl
v well; but the next night the symptom
. are more decided, and on the mex
" night the child dies; but this woul,
have been avertud with great certain
:, ty, it, from the first night, the chill
had been kept in a warm room, warm
: Iy clad, the bowels had been kept free