The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-08-09
Cholera TIltG3ItliDl.
HOW THE DISEASE MAY BE AyOIDED-vAL-
UABLE INFORMATION.

An eminent physician OF 1 IAllaGGipllid
writes TO paper Ot that city on the above
subject, as follows:
The three principal cases of this disas-
trous malady, cholera infantum, may Ie
cted as tiIst. indirectly, the hcISntehcu
mpcrature Of the atmosphere, when pre-
dispOseS the general system 10 congestion
aad iuiianmatDry action secondly, uhdue
taxation of the digestive junction, through
iaiudicious feeding; and thirdly, and, per-
hSus, most of all important, the influence
ufon the system of such water as Is gener
ally provided in large cities for drinking
purposes That the latteriS one of the es-
sential causes of this disease may be in
ferred from the fact that cholera infantum
is SO peculiarly incident to cities as to be
almost entirely unknown i'll the country,
where people are provided with pure water
from excavated wells or running springs
Whatever different theories may be de-
duccd from the repeated chemical analysis
of our own city water, and admitting even
its purity, in so far as these chemical tests
can determine, it is, nevertheless, certain
that the great supply required by all large
communities ncceSSitates, for the purpose,
the appropriation of large streams, that
become the rcceptacles, in thcu long jour
ney to their ultimate reservoirs, of great
deal of filth and nOXiOuS animal and vege-
table matter: and it cannot be doubted,
when the subtle character of malarlOuS at
mosphcre is considered, that water, also,
lnayacuuirea characteristic condition some
what akin to that malaria from these man
fold decompoSitions fully as capable of in
ducing morbid action in the human econO-
my, though it may not be possible through
chemical tests to discover the offending
popularity.
Not, however, to go into lengthy details
of reasoning upon causes more or less OBJ
scure, l viii pass on 10 what Is most impor-
taut to those who have little children,
namely, recount the general management,
in reference to cholera infantum, which,
under plentiful observation, has been fol-
lowed by the happiest results. First of all;
1T is essential to keep the child cool. This
may best be accomplished by means of fire.
quent and protracted 6athing III water cool
or than the atmosphere. If the tempera-
ture of the atmosphere is very high-say
about from 50 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, or
if it is close and Oppressive-the bathing
should be repeated number of times i'll
the course Of the day, the water for this
purpose being regulated to about 30 or 70
degrees. Sometimes instead of immersing
the child in the water, it may suffice TO
sponge it copiously.
Thus treated. the child viii feel cool and
comfortable for several hours, after which
the process may be repeated, there being
no cause for apprehension whatever that
the little one wlu be weakened thereby las
Is sometimes enormously supposed, even
if kept in the water for half an hour at
time. The object Of this bathing is to sub
stitute a surrounding medium, the temper
aturc Of which may be regulated at viii,
forthe atmosphere whose temperature Is not
so readily modified. Who has not expert
cnced the refreshing effect Of bath, when
the weather Is very warm, in water Of a
lower temperature than that of the air at
l.. g
that the same refreshing advantage will
accrue to the little children?
The most important article Of food is milk,
accompanied after the tenth month of the
infant age, with a small quautiJyof crush
cd NyatCr-crackcr, soaked in the milk i'll
the form Of pap Great care should be
taken not to 0cerfeCd babies during the
warm season rs the function Of digestion
at that time is Just as much aveTse to being
ovcrworked as are the functions Of the
muscles. Every one knows what a feeling
nf languOr and disinclinatiOn for exercise
heat pTuduces-in this feeling the stomach
participates with due proportion. The
milk that is used should be as fresh as it
can possibly be had. If COW could be
MIXED every time the baby needs feeding,
II would BE all the better. AT all events
the mill. should be freshly drawn from the
uddcr at least twice a day and to facilitate
boiled and then cooled, and kept on ice in
closely-covered vessels.
1t should be remembered that milk, as
contained in the cows udder, Is 4 ttUtHg,
vital secretion, and has been called liquid
flesh but the moment it becomes separa-
ted from the living body, into an eXtrane-
Gus vessel it assumes a different character,
which though not as apparenta as is the case
with the cOagulatiOn of blood when drawn
no he mo tI
some extent as food for the young, and GER
tainly hastens to decomposition. 1t is for
the purpose of staying this process to some |
extent that the milk should be boiled.
All the water too, that IS given to infants
for drink should first be boiled, and, when
cooled and settled, carefully poured offfrOm
the top, bottled and kept on ice. The pro
cess Of boiling puIities md distills the wa
ter. and destroys the vitality to a great ex-
tent at least, Of the parasites it may have /
But to do still more towards |
ncUtraliziug the injurious effects of the .
water, a few drops of pure Cognac brandy .
should be added to every drink given the
infant. Sometimes few drops Of lemon
juice Of child is year old or over may .
be added; or a little canomile tea, in the .
proportion of a teaspoonful to a wineglass- I
ful of the water. A very little sugar, also, F,
should always be added.
OF water thus modified the child may
drink without let or hindrance, guarding
only against too large quantities at time.
In fact, the water thus given will aid in
cooling the blood from within, and dimin-
ishingits tendency towards congestion, even
as the lotions and bathing exert this effect
from without.
If these general precautionary measures
be regularly and persistently adhered to,
confidently believe that cholera infantum,
instead of continuing to be the terror and
apprehension of all parents, would become
almost extinct, except as among the un-
happy results of careless nursing or con-
genital constitutional debility.
Mothers and others having charge of
children should cut this out for future refer
ence.
LIGHT WITHOUT MATCHEs.-Tale an
oblong phial of the whitest kind put in a
piece OF phosphorus about the size of a pea,