Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1892-02-12

Be Careful to Keep the Babies on the
Floor and Away from the Windows.

Be Careful to Keep the Babies on the
Floor and Away from the Windows.
The mother whose children take cold
easily endures many uneasy hours at
this season of the year. She must be
constantly on the alert, and with all
care she can exercise she can never feel
secure when she lies down at night that
her sleep may not be broken 10y the
harsh, barking cough that always
strikes terror to her heart.
Children vary much in their readiness
to take cold, and often there will be IA
great difference in this respect between
two children of the same family. One
will wet his feet or wear thinner
Jacket than usual with impunity, while
with another leaving off scarf he is
change be made upon day
that is oppressively mild, will mean
an attack OF Group within twenty-four
hours. There is no way of accounting
for these contrasts. They must simply
be accepted and their warning needed.
No liberties can be taken with the
health of croupy child, and an unex-
pected attack of his special complaint
will often indicate. as plainly rs words
could, some imprudence or neglect on
his own part or that of one of his
guardians.
Children take cold from simple and
apparently harmless causes. One of
the best methods of producing this
effect is to let child get too close to a
window in winter weather. The passer-
by can see no prettier picture than
childish faces against the pane, but it is
a risky position for the little ones TO
occupy. There is perceptible differ
encc in the temperature of the air close
TO the sash and that three or four feet
lrom it. and this chill is easily felt by
sensitive person.
Many a childish cold that seems in
eXplicablc may be traced to the half
hour the youngster spent with his face
close to the glass watching for papa
to come home" Do not debar the
children from the pleasure of looking
out of the window, but protect them
against its dangers by slipping on light
wraps that can be easily shed when
their wearers leave their post of OBJ
servation.
Another way that children take cold
is by sitting on the floor. Here there
are always draughts. If block houses
are to be built, trains run, soldiers
drilled, or fiocl1s and herds marshaled,
and if table can not be provided large
enough to accommodate these maneu
vers to the satisfaction of their young
director give them cushions to sit on
SO that they will be raised even few
! inches from the floor. Moreover, put
these cushions in a corner where they
will not be between the windows and
the door, or between the windows or
door and the fireplace, if there is an
open CRATE.
These precautions are TO a certain eX
tent within the mothers power, but she
is less efficient against the risks to
which her children are exposed when
she sends them out with the nurse for
an airing. She may give all the direc-
tons she can devise, but she has no Sc
curity that her croupy darling may not
be allowed TO chill himself on stone
doorstep while his needless attendant
leans on the handle of the baby car
riage and flirts with zone of the finest. :"
The mother must early impress upon
the child the prohibition against sitting
down while out of doors in cold wealth
er, and if she is in any doubt concern
ing the fidelity of the nurse she should
direct her to restrict her promenade to a
given limit, where it is possible for the
mother 70 occasionally appear unex-
pectedly and satisfy herself that her
orders are being obeyed.
When child shows signs on going to
bed of hoarseness or of being stuffed
up" with cold, simple preventive
measures should be employed. His
! feet and hands should be thoroughly
chafed and warmed his throat and
chest well rubbed with camphorated
oil, that admirable preparation in such
| cases, and the bridge of his nose anoint-
ed with vaseline. If the hoarscness or
croupiness is not pronounced his feet
should be put into hot bath into which
has been stirred handful of mustard
and salt These precautions will often
avert cold that would otherwise
prove painful and dangerous N. Y.
Recorder.