The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1905-08-25
Summer Disorders of Infancy.

The most common stomach disorder
is known as acute gastric ca'aFrh'
acute Indigestion, or acute dyspepsia
all three terms signitying the same
disorder. The chief cause is lrrlla-
ton due to food, improper in quaint!
Or quality, spelling in the stomach
This malady rarely occurs III IN
fauts fed on good breast milk, unless
something occurs to upset the mo'hef'
Older children often have attacks
from eating too much candy, unrlPe
fruit, pastry and the like. In grown
people this disorder is called bilious
attack
In bottle-fed infants, especially dur
inc the summer months, it is a very
common complaint. The symptoms
are loss of interest in play and sur
roundings, starting in the sleep, cry
ing with collie pains, drawing up 'ne
legs on the abdomen, sharp, shrlil cry
paleness around the mouth, b!ueneSs
of the skin and cold feet; in severe
cases. fever, nausea and vomiting
of mucus and undigested food. when
the food has been more than usually
indgestible there are often conVul-
sions and symptoms resembling those
of inflammation Of the brain and
spinal cord.
The writer remembers we'll a typl-
cal case. A child of three years, after
eating a number of windfallen apples
and drinking two cups OF milk, was
suddenly seized with commissions, oc-
curing every half hour or less, ana
remained unconscious for hours
Some effort had been made to empty
the stomach by vomiting, but in vain.
An emetic and tickling the throat with
feather brought up mass OF Jumps
of unripe apple and large, sour curds.
This soon restored the little one to
consciousness. A thorough enema and
| dose of castor OIL freed the allmen-
tary canal of the undigested food and
poisons produced by it; but several
days of fever followed, during which
no food could be retained by the stom-
ach, and even water was rejected for
a time.
The best treatment in case OF acute
indigestion is to empty the alimentary
| tract at once by an emetiC Of warm
water or the stomach lavage; a thor
ough enema and mild cathartic &c
free the bowels. Stop all food at
once, and do not try to put anything
into the stomach until the vomiting
ceases, unless it be ice-pills or sips OF
hot water
The collie. pains can often be re
lieved by lamentations. In the chill
stage at the onset, warm full BATH
or a warm sheet pack is good; and
hot mustard foot bath when the fee
are cold If there is diarrhea, ho
enemas, followed by tepid or coo
ones, are often very soothing. Ii
cases of infants, especially bottle-fet
babies, all milk should be kept on
Of the food for a time. During thu
first twenty-four to thirty-siX hours
only pure cold water or ice shoulC
be given. After vomiting and purg
ing cease. the child may be fed tea
spoonful or two of white of egg 9TH
white of one egg mixed with fou
ounces or water or grueD. When thu
patient begins to convalesce, milk
modified and steriliZed, may gradual,
be given.
Watch the effects of the change O
food, as the stomach is likely to re
main irritable for long time, an
relapses are common, which, in no
weather especially, may result in chO
era infantum, or some other acute il
fammatOry disorder.