The union Democrat. [volume] (Sonora, Calif.) 1854-1946, 1870-11-26
NUMBER %.


There is no disease in which little rrac-
teal medical knowledge judicioasly applied
can be Of so much service as in that very
common affection, the convulsions of chill
dren. THERE'S none, however, where prompt
action is so essential, for the disease is rapid
in its progress, and tends to quick and fatal
result
Although there are generally some premon-
TORY symptoms indicating the approach Of an
attack of commissions, but few parents give
| them heed or ask for medical advice unit. the
disease is fully developed. 1t therefore be-
comes more necessary to know what to do be-
fore the doctor comes, for he generally arrives
so late as to be Of little avail.
The premonitory symptoms, though sell
dom noticed by the ordinary observer. are
precisely described by medical writer's. They
state that commissions are generally preceded
by restless drowsiness, during which the
child moves uneasily. and starts and means.
| He frequently awakes from sleep with
shrek of fright and is excessively irritable.
He cries violently and frets continually. The
eyes of the child are seen to have a fixed
but vacant stare, and the face to be occasion
ally rippled with distorted smile The
! hands and feet sometimes crisped with con-
valsive grasp. in which the thumbs of one
and the great toes of the other are chiefly
ague-Gt, both when asleep and awake, bus
oftener during the former state.
! When the disease Is fully developed the
symptoms are so marked as to be noticed by
the most needless. The convlsive fit shows
itself with the greatest distinctness Mt first in
the eyes, which are spasmodically moved in
various directions. now turning up under the
upper eyelids and showing nothing but tho
whites, now lodging about in violent agits-
ton, and again twitching to the right or left
in fixed squint, The mouth soon becomes
equally distorted into various shapes, and
there is grinding Of the teeth and frothing
from the lips. The head is thrown backward
or twisted to either side, and the whole BODY
becomes stiff or jerks with alternating
spasms. The disease is more easily recog.
nized than described.
The first thing to do in a case of convul-
sions is to sprinkle water in the child's face
and place him in well ventilated room.
1t will be often found that the mere change
from close to an airy apartment is enough
to put an end to the attack. The clothes of
the patient must be loosened, and nothing al-
lowed, not even stocking, to construct, in
the least degree. any portion Of his body. A
warm bath of the temperature of 96o Fahren-
heit should be prepared as soon as possible,
and the child put and kept in it for a quarter
| oil an hour. when removed he should he
wrapped in loose flannel or blanket. The
not uncommon practice of forcing the little
| patients tender legs into excessively hot wa
ter is cruel and dangerous one. The nat
ural aversion of the child to being scalded
causes violence Of resistance which is sure
to increase the convu.sive action from which
he is already suffering. After the bath lit
tie sugar and water can be administered, and
then it will be best to place the child upon a
hard bed, with its head slightly raised on
low pillow, and let it rest in perfect repose.
When it is obvious that the cause of the con-
WILSON'S is loaded stomach it will be proper
to empty it. This is best done by tickling
the throat with feather, or giving the child
a tea-spoonful of syrup of ipecacuanha.
A coming tooth is often the cause of con-
WILSON'S in an infant. In such case tho
mother or nurse, if she have courage enough,
should cut the pressed gum with knife or
tear it apart with needle.