Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-15
ILLS OF TIE CHILDREN
HOME PREVENTIVES AGAINST
MANY AILMENTS.
Plenty Of Sleep and Exercise and
Nourishing Food the Main
Items.
Items.

It may sound rather paradoxical In the
face of tradition to say that there are
ailments children should not have; never
theless. no child should have aches pains
or many of the childish diseases II prop
erly nourished on wholesome foods, bathed
and clad in keeping with the season. housed
in well-ventilated rooms and given suffi-
cient outdoor exercise and plenty of sleep
and recreation, according to DR.. Charles
G. Kerley. well-known child specialist.
Faulty nutrition produces lack of re-
sistance to disease" says DR.. Kerley; "it
makes susceptible bodies: the large NOR
tality among infants Is due. directly or
indirectly. to nutritional errors more than
to anything else. Scarlet fever. diphtheria,
measles. pneumonia. tuberculosis, the in
testinal diseases. claim most of their VIC
tins among those who have not sufficient
stamina to resist infection. 1t requires no
great process of reasoning to appreciate
that the child who is fed on suitable food
will become a more vigorous and better
formed adult than one who Is fed, begin
ming at birth and continuing during the
entire development period, on food Of in
different tissue-building qualities.
Intestinal diseases of infants offer a
better field of work in the line Of preven-
ton than any other disease of childhood,
and considering the high death rate from
such ailments no affection deserves more
determined efforts t. combat 1t. The most
potent factors causing dysentery are chang
ing climatic conditions. unhealthy d.
gestive tract. infected foods and faulty
feeding.
AT the first symptom of intestinal de-
rangement mothers or nurse should stop
feeding milk and give cereal water and a
dose of castor oil. The cereal water. barley
or rice, Is given in the strength of one-half
ounce to a pint of water. and Is fed plain
or dextriniZed regardless Of age until the
acute symptoms disappear. When milk Is
again fed it must be given SKINNED in
small quantities with cereal water, and
never more than half an ounce at one feed
ing As the little sufferers temperature
is reduced the quantities of milk are In
creased. Ii, Is sometimes the case,
SKINNED milk does not agree, condensed
milk may be used in quantities of one-half
to one dram in feeding of cereal water.
Boiled water only is given for drink.
Frequent spongings with lukewarm wa
ter are advisable during the day. and it
is essential to speedy recovery that the
little one be kept as quiet as Is possible
on cot or in bed placed In COOL we'll
ventilated room In as spacious quarters as
are to be had.
Through properly ventilated dwellings
pulmonary disorders. bronchitis, bronchial
pneumonia may be avoided. But If con-
tracted should be treated locally with
medicated vapor and chest applications,
which gives drugs third place. And l
advise when medicines are given that they
be administered In tablets and not mixed
with a syrup that has no therapeutic value
and as a rule disturbs the stomach.
IT have found that with children pull
monary and infectious diseases treated,
with baths. packs and plenty Of drinking
water, boiled. supplemented with judicious
medication. give excellent results.
There is no advantage in a child's hav-
ing measles or whooping cough, though
they make the little one practically Inn
mune afterward. and I believe that they
should he guarded against these infectious
Diseases for the chances Of serious COM
plications are increased. and pneumonia
frequently follows both measles and whoop-
ing cough.
"Cold In the head. Group and other ca
tarrhal affections. caused from dust and
exposure to draughts. may be avoided by
keeping the childs body In good physical
condition. the digestive apparatus healthy
and not unduly exposing an infant to sud
den changes Of temperature. such as going
from q warm room into a cold one, or al
lowing It to lie in position where q drought
will blow directly on it."