The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1896-09-12
suMMER coMPLAlNr.


a Paper OF Interest to Mothers Watckina
the Health OF Their Babies.
Rather more than Is per cent. of all
who are born into this world leave it
within j year, and more than rs per
cent. before they have reached their
third anniversary. These deaths &C
curing with such relative frequency in
the warmer months have given rise to a
germ summer complaint, which, in its
most typical form, is a cholera; in other
words, an inflammation OF the small in
testines, whose conspicuous symptom is
colliquative diarrhea. Except from the
frequency and severity of this disease
or, rather, group of discases-in the
case of Young children there is nothing
to justify the special use of the term
cholera infantum,' since it is nothing
but cholera nostrum occurring in in
fants.
The wise physician suspects the stom-
ach in every case of intestinal catarrh
or indigestion. Not hat there is neces-
sarily or even frequent or ~antecedent
organic lesion of the stomach, but be-
cause the most common and most tan
gible ource of intestinal disorders is
the entrance of a fermenting mass of
improperly prepared chyme.
Cholera infantum is due to bacteria,
but not to any specific bacterium. Fen
ton b. Turck, of Chicago, believes that
he has demonstrated at least half a doz-
en- kiUds that will produce Tactic acid
fermentation alone. A dozen or more
germs are found in the mouth at all
times, while the intestine teens with
the bacillus coli communi and number
of other varieties. Except that the an.
tiseptic action of hydrochloric acid rem
ders the stomach reasonably sterile
during the height of digestion, the en-
tire ~alimentary canal! is a long culture
tube from the time when the newborn
baby inspires, scream and swallows
till the organic matter of the body has
been destroyed by decay or fire. Hence,
the rapid development of saprophytes
and other germs, the consequent irrita-
ton of the mucous membrane of the
small intestines--and very likely of that
of the stomach and colon as well-and
the poisoning of the entire system
through the absorption of ptomaines
and leucomaines indicate not a total
change from the normal condition, but
merely a heightened degree of bacterial
activity.
Bad sanitation, and especially crowd
ed and imperfectly ventilated and poor
ly drained apartments, have long
been recognized as prolific sources of
cholera infantum. The disease, there
fore, is essentially one of cities, and pre-
eminently of the slums. There must
be considered not so much the absolute
population of a city us the density of it's
population, the absence of breathing
space in the shape of yards and parks,
the existence of a contaminated water
supply, and the lack of sufficient control
of tenement architecture, of food and
milk supplies, and Of gar bage collec-
tions. 1t is impossible to select any me
factor of slum life as a sole or principal
p~redisposing cause OF cholera infantum.
1t may be that the parents, debilitated
by poverty, hard work, poor food or dis
ease, or by all combined, have brought
forth children predestined to a physic-
al damnation. 1t may be that the child
is weakened, not so much by heredity rs
by confinement in the sitting atmos-
phere OF a room that is at once kitchen,
parlor and chamber, Or by recent con-
tact with contagious disease, or that
has directly irritateG it's stomach by
delying in the swill tub or by drinking
the dregs from a beer glass. Whether
breast-fed or bottle-fed, it must be re-
membered that the baby's draughts of
milk arc meals, and that they must be
taken regularly. Ordinary cleanliness
must be observed with regard to the
child's mouth and the source of noTr-
ishment. In the case of bottle-ied
children partial sterilization Should be
insisted upon. Milk fully sterilized by
boiling, however, loses much of its
nutritive power. The long tube of the
nursing bottle has slain it's thousands,
and must give way to the simple nipple
fitting over the top of the bottle.
Much a be done to diminish infant
mortality if the obstetrician will bear in
mind that he has not completed his duty
until he has instituted a regimen for the
child which shall include cleanliness,
proper clothing-neither too warm, too
cold nor too tight-proper exercise and
outdoor life, and, most important of ell,
regular feeding. After some experience
with babies who have been subjected 10
such a regimen, whether at the breast
OF on the bottle, we feel justified in de-
claring that cholera infantum is largely
a preventable disease. - Medical and
Surgical Reporter.
The Newest Gowns.
The craze for blue and white has
extended to muslin gowns. The latest
and most chic show blue figures in white
grounds and are p~rofuselY trimmed