The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-09-01

Food and Drink for Children.

Dinner for children should always b0
early: and about this let me remark that
if beef or mutton be given, both of
which. whether boiled or roasted. are
highly nutritious, it should be cut up
very finely, or even minced, and the
child should be taught to eat very slowly
and to masticate the food well. Chill
dren' food, like that of grown-up peo-
pie, ought to be varied change is al
ways agreeable and conductive to good
digestion. | like 10 see children sit down
to good dinner, and l delight to see
them enjoy it; but hurrying over meals
and they are greatly prone TO this
should always be discouraged, while. on
the other hand. nothing indigestible
should be placed before them. Game of
various kinds, as well as fowl, pigeon
and rabbit, make a very fine change.
and so does white fish, with the excep-
ton of herring and mackerel, or any
other strong-tasted or oily fish. Although
a little salt should always be sprinkled
over child's food, he should not be per-
mitted to eat saltcd provisions of any
kind, nor any indigestible food, as pork,
goose. or even duck, and turkey should.
be given but sparingly. The stuffing
generally used with the latter is very
likely to produce a fit of Indigestion if
given to a child There are vegetables
that a child may eat, and others that he
ought not to partake of; potatoes, foreX-
ample, turnips, and roots generally, are
very wholesome, but cabbage and greens
are provocative of internal disturbance.
Even potatoes, tIIrnips and parsnips,
however, should be mashed. And here
let me give a word of warning; they
ought not to be mashed on the plate with
the back of a fork: they viii be lumpy if
they are. The MASKING ought to be COM
plete and thorough. Puddings of sage,
rice or semolina, or even corn flour,
should always form a part OF the ehiitt :
dinner, and suet dumping, II eaten
with sirup, makes a very NICE cna,i9e'
What should a child drink? Milk or
water, with meals, or a very little tea or
coffee well diluted with milk. Cocoa IS
most nourishing; | cannot indeed, speak
too highly in its praise. As to beer or
wines, | should say never under any cir
cumstances allow Il child to partake of
them, except under the orders or sane
ton of medical man. The supper
should be early, say six O'Clock, and
may be light pudding of any kind, pOr-
ridge and milk, or bread and butter with
milk-diluted tea. Children live fast, and
be it remembered that they require more
food in comparison to their size than
grown-up people do, for they have not
only to repair the waste of tissue, but to
build and feed bone and nerve and mus
Gle. Even between meals, therefore, if
occasion demands it, do not deny them
a crust of bread.
There is little need of physic where
children are well cared for, well clothed.
and well fed. If a laxative be needed,
either a teaspoonful of magnesia may be
mixed in the pap, or little fluid magnesia
administered; but remember that mag
nesia too often given is apt to form con-
cretions of dangerous character. Cas-
tor-oil warmed, so rs TO make it run
easy, is sometimes good, the only objec-
ton to its administration being that force
is required, and know by experience
that a child will sometimes struggle sc
against swallowing medicine as to cause
itself mischief. Sirup of rhubarb is an
other harmless aperient, and one that
will not weaken the child; but after all,
the less medicine you give the better,
unless the child be actually fevered. and
then it is time to send for the doctor
Harper's Weekly.