The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1872-07-19
CHOLERA INFANTnM.
Syhat Causes Il and What care. u.
JFrom the Philadelphia Ieaver1

- !. 20 tsA0 uy beulery nave each their
victims IN the same claes of subjects.
VI the medical treatment and means
Of cure we are not called upon to
speak IN these columns, the less SO,
indeed, as on these points physicians
are not agreed. The more important
consideration is TO prevent the com
ing on of the disease and the use of
all hygienic agencies which preserve
the health of children. Chief among
ali the causes of cholera infanEum
are high and sustained atmospheric
heat and defective ventilation, so
that the little sufferers are breathing
not only q heated but an impure air,
which exerts poisonous operation
on the organization, and most on the
nervous aud digestive systems. The
next exciting cause of the disease in
question Is indigestible food, which
the stomach is unable to reduce to a
homogeneous whole, out of which
chyle and blood are formed, but, in
stead, disturbs the stomach, causes
sickness and vomiting, or, lift pass
es into the bowels, gives rise to di-
arth@a. Greatly predisposing tie
little sufferer to be affected in these
ways is the irritating fever from
teetbing, and hence if an infant,
while teething, live at the same time
IN hot and impure air, and uses
1ndigestible and gross food, no ned
ieine or combination of medicines
will be of much if any avail.
Success in procuring relief for the
sick infant viii depend on the abii-
ty to remove or modify the morbid
causes above stated. For this pur.
pose the patient should be taken
from its close and badly ventilate d
quarters and allowed to breathe a
purer and fresher air in one or more
of our public squares, or especially
IN the park. Hours should be thus
spent daily. Proper food can be
taken by the mother or nurse for
the little one, which may thus be
made to pass almost entire days in a
vivifying atmosphere of Initigated
temperature, and acquire new life to
lear mp under the facilitating effects
of the close and often crowded sleep
ing rooms in courts and alleys, In
which renewal of air is scarcely OBJ
tainable. Mothers can not be too
much impressed with the importance
of snatching a half-hour even for es-
cape with their childI en- into more
open and cooler quar- ters. Both as
preventive and cure most valuable is
the inhalation Of the pure air on
board the numerous steamboats,, In
crossing or sailing up and down the
Delaware river. Similarly adVanta-
geous, but with more pleasing scene
ry, is a passage up and down the
Schuylkll, or into the romantic Wis
sahickon. Not little may be done
to diminish and prevent exhaustion
from the extreme heat, by bathing
the infant in water of the river tenn
perature, OF that flowing from the
dydrants, early IN the morning, and
IN the evening by using the water for
the bath milk-Warm. The bath
should be followed on both occa
sions by thorough drying and fric-
ton of the skin.
Continual errors in infantile diet
are committed by parents giving
their children strong, gross food
such as they use themselves. An at
tack of cholera infantum or of diar-
rhea, is often brought on in hot
weather by sudden change of food
for the infant, in substituting for the
mothers milk, as in the process o
weaving, the ordinary food o
the table, and this In not always linn
tied quantity. Hence mothers should
not attempt to wean their children
during the summer months, excep
under very peculiar circumstances
and counselledby the physician. Tn
food for a child during the whole o
the summer months, and indeed a
all times, should be milk, either pur
or mixed with iarinaceOus ARTICLES
such as -four, powdered biscuit, In
dian meal, preparations of wheat
rice and arrow-root, in the shape c
pap, puddings, &c, sometimes faN
ored with cinnamon, nutInega and tn
like. The drink will be cool water
and much refreshment will be pre-
cured to the child suffering fror
teething, by taking into its mOut
ground ice, which, even if swallowe
before it is entirely dissolved, will d
no harm. Gum water, barley waite
andinfusion of different herbs-sag,
balms, &c, may severally be give
to vary the drinks. The extreme II
ritation of teething, sometimes caus
ing commissions, can be relieved b
the physician lancing the gums. TIL
clothing of children IN the summe
season should be of light textur'
easy fitting and loose; the inner gai
ment being of very thin or gauz
flannel, which prevents the heat frOT
being so sensibly felt as it would b
with different kind of gaTmentnez
to the skin, and also has the Rdvau
tage of preventing a chilling of th
body after profuse Precipitation o
n sudden reduction of temperature
A change ought TO be made, If pos
sible, both night and morning. A.
parts OF the body should be protecte
from the sun, and hence the cloth
ing should come up to the neck an
cover the legs, instead of the brea:
and shoulders being left naked t
increase the risk of sudden chi
and suppressed perspiration, the O
fects of which, at this season, wi
show themselves by deranging tL
stomach and bowels. Exercis,
which IN the case of a child in Oh
arms must be passive, is often veT
serviceable when taken In a carriaa
or the ears, and for the time being
arrasEs the disorder of the horreI