The Wilmingtonian., 1885-06-06


things being equal, is much more likely to
brave the dangers OF bowel arrangements,
than the child which m ust rely for its sus
tanence upon foreign and unnatural support.
about to supervene, the mother of the nurs-
ing child cannJt be two careful in regard to
the nature of her diet, and under no circum-
stances should the child be allowed to nurse
when the mother is extremely fatigued or
suffering from intense heat
To the child dependent upon other than
natural agencies for its nutrment, it should
be remembered that the starchy food, which
is given in excess to SO many children under
the false idea that it is easily digesti-
BILE, is prone to fermeut in the almentary
canal, and thus producing an irritation of
the stomach and bowels which rapidly ia
vors development of Cholera Infan-
tum.
THIS starch. dict is a frequent cause of ILL
ness in children, whose organs are designed
for the digestion of milk and kindred food,
the conditions necessary for tie digestion
of starch only developing with the teeth,
and too many cases of summer complaint
are due to improper substitutes for the
child's natural food.
Cholera Infantum is the scourge of child
| hood in this country aud it is marked by a
violent inflammation of the stomach and
bowels. The initiatory symptoms are exces
sive vomiting and proruse purgation. More
or less fever characterzes the early st age
and if the disease is not arrested within the
ensue in a vast majority of cases.
That this should be 81 is scarcely to be
wondered at when we consider hat the
very causes which produce the disease-viz:
foul air, confinement, uncleanliness and i'm
proper food, are in operation throughout the
illness.
Before death we observe all the signs of
exhausted vitality, muscular contractions,
great emaoiation, sunken eyes and loss Of
voice, In many cases consciousness vanish
es some hours before the fatal issue; in eth
ers it is retained to the last
The discharges from the bowels are usual
ly yellowsh or greenish, at first consisting
chiefly of secretions from the mucous men,
brane of the intcstines; as the disease pro-
crosses the serum of the blood begins to es-
cape and the action of the bladder is almost
completely suspended. There is constant
vomiting, accompanied with darrhoea and
cold sweats.
Even case of acute Group does net aE.
ford more narrowing spectacle than that
of child dying of Cholera Infautum. 1t is
the more dreadful because the burden oI
the calamity lies at the parents. door,
crime of neglect, in short, which no tears o.
sorrow can wash away.
There can be no doubt that much of The
mortality from Cholera Infantum is due t.
the failure OF the child's natural guardian
to recognize the character of the disease
The father is out all day at his work, aus
leaves the responsibility of the care of the
children to the mother. The latter is to-
often prone to treat the premontory dar
rhea as natural or even beneficial; she will
often say say it is because the child is teeth
ing, and that Mrs. Browns and Mrs. Jones
children were attacked in the same way, all,
got over it all right OF course Mrs. Brown
aud Mrs. Jones are called in consultation
and endorse this view with all the eloquenc
in their power AS a result the child is sui
fered to run on-perhaps dosed with littl
paregoric to keep it quiet, or it may be hal
poisoned with some deadly soothing syru
or quack herbal drench-tll the mothe
wakes up too late to recognition that he
child is nearly dead, and sends for the doc
tor to take the responsibility off her hands
when it is out of his power to do So Tn
signing of death certifica is poor sc
lace on the palt of physician, who woul
be often forced to add if the truth were tult
Woman you have slain your child"
We say then to the mothers of our littl
ones:-Give them plenty of clean clothes
r plenty Oflight, plenty of fresh air. Do nc
, let them stuff themselves with unripe or ro
t ten fruit as they are too apt to do at the yer
season when it is most dangerous. Do nc
disregard even slight attack of diarrheG
> and set it down as a mere tee thing trouble
{ 1t will be for a medical man to determiu
| this. If the child has sharp diarrhea, CON
. ing on suddenly with or without cramps an
D vomiting, d. not lose an hour, nor even
: moment, in seeking medical aid; you
: promptitude may save your child as suIel
as delay viii destroy it.