Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-06-27
THE INFANT.
Rules for the Management OF In
fants During the Hot Season.
Prom Tho Medical Times. June al.l

tepid water. II Il Is feeble, sponge u
all over twice day with tepid water or
with tepid water aud vinegar. The
health Of child depends much upon
It's cleanliness.
Rule 2. Avoid all tight bandagng
Make the clothing light aud cool, and so
loose that the child may have free play
for its limbs. Al night undresa IL, sponge
1t, and put on slip. In the morning
remove the slip and dress the child IN
clean clothes. II this cannot be afforded,
thoroughly air the day clothing by hang
ing il up during the night. Use clean
diapers, and change them often. Never
dry soiled one in the nursery or sit
ting room, aud never use one Tor sec
ond time without first washing il.
Rule g. The child should sleep by
itself in cot or cradle. IL should be put
TO bed at regular hours, aud be early
taught 10 go to sleep without being
nursed in the arms. Without the adj
vice of a physician never give il any
spirits, cordials, carminatiyes, soothing
syrups, or sleeping drops. Thousands
OF children die every year from the use
Of these.poisons. II the child frets and
does not sleep. il is either hungry or i'll.
IL i'll, it needs a physician. Never
quiet il by candy or cake; they are the
common : causes OF diarrhea, and OF
other troubles.
Rule A. Give the child plenty Of
fresh air. In the cool Of the morning
and evening send it out to the shady
sides Of broad streets, 10 the public
squares or TO the park. Make frequent
excursions on the rivers. Whenever il
seems to suffer from the heat, let it drink
freely Of ice water. Keep it out Of the
room in which washing or cooking is 90
ing on. IL is excessive heat that de-
stroys the lives of young infants.
Rule 8. Keep your house sweet and
clean, cool and well aired. In very hot
weather let the windows be open day
and night. Do your cooking in the
yard, In a shed, in the garnet or in an
upper roam. Whitewash the walls every
spring, and see that the cellar is clear
of all rubbish. Let no Stops collect to
poison the air. Correct all foul smells
by pouring carbolic acid or quick-lime
into the sinks and priyies. The former
article can be got from the nearest drug
gist, who will give the needful directions
for its use. Make every effort yourself,
and urge your neighbors, to keep the
cutters of your street or court clean.
Rule 6. Breast-milk is the only proper
food for infants. If the supply is ample,
and the child thriyes on it, no other kind
of food should be given while the hot
weather lasts. If the mother has not
enough, she must not wean the child,
but give it, besides the breast, goats or
cows milk, as prepared under rule 8
Nurse the child once in two or three
hours during the day, and as seldom as
possible during the night. Always re-
move the child from the breast as
soon as il has fallen asleep. Avoid
giving the breast when you are over
fatigued or overheated.
Rule 7. If, unfortunately, the child
must be brought up by hand, it should
be fed on milk-diet alone, and that warm
milk out.of nursing-bottle, as directed
under rule 8. Goats milk is the best
and next to it cows milk. II the child
thriyes on this diet, no other kind Of
food whatever should be given while the
hot weather lasts. At all seasons of the
year but especially in summer, there is
no safe substitute for milk to an infant
that has not cut its front teeth. Sage,
arrow-root, potatoes, corn-ilour, crack
ers. bread. every patented food, and
every article of diet containing starch,
cannot and must not be depended on as
food for very young infants. Creeping
or walking children must not be allowed
to pick up unwholesome food.
Rule 8. Each bottlefnl of milk should
be sweetened by small lump of loaf
sugar. or by half q teaspoonful of crushed
sugar. If the milk is known to be pure,
it may have onefourth part OF hot water
added to it; hut, if it is not known to be
pure no water need be added. When
the heat of the weather is great, the milk
may be given quite cold. Be sure that
the milk is unskimmed; have it as fresh
as possible, and brought very early in
the morning. Before using the pans
into which h is to be poured, always
scald them with boiling suds. In very
hot weather, boil the milk as soon as it
comes, and at once put away the vessels
holding it in the coolest place in the
house-upon ice if it can be afforded, or
down well. Milk carelessly allowed to
stand in a warm room soon spoils and
becomes unfit for food
Rule 9. If the milk should disagree, a
tablespoonful of lime water may be
added to each bottleiul. Whenever pure
milk cannot be got, try the condensed
milk, which often answers admirably. 1t
is sold by all the leading druggists and
grocers, and may be prepared by adding,
without sugar, one teaspoontul, or more,
according to the age of the child, to six
tablespoonfuls OF boiling water. Should
this disagree, a teaspooniul ofarrow-root,
of sage, or Of corn-starch to the pint OF
milk may be cautiously tried. II milk
in any shape cannot be digested, try, for
a few days, pure cream diluted with
three-fourths or three-6fths of water
returning to the milk as soon as possible.
Rule 10. The nursing-bottle must be
kept perfectly clean; otherwise the milk
will turn sour, and the child will be made
i'll. After each meal it should be
emptied, rinsed out, taken apart, and |
the tube, cork, nipple, and bottle be
placed in clean water, or IN water to
which little soda has been added. It'll
is a good plan to have two nursing-bot-
ties. and to use them by turns.
Rule IL. Do not wean the child just
before or during the hot weather, nor, as
a rule, until after its second summer. If
sucking disagrees with the mother, she
must not wean the child, but feed it in
part, out of nursing bottle, on such
food as has been directed. However
small the supply of breast-milk, pro-
v;dcd II agrees with the child, the moth
err NAV save the life Of child when
everything else fails. When the child is
over six months old, the mother may
save her strength by giving 1t one or two
- = dov ~ stale bread and milk