The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1916-02-10
for The
Sick Child Properly

| snould De put to bed and be lightly
but efficiently clothed PLENTY of
fresh air may be allowed but at the
same time precautions must be taken
TO protect the patient from draughts.
In hot weather a bed cradle NAV be
used to keep the weight of the bed.
clothes off the child's body and thus
add to its comfort
AS a general principle the treat.
ment should begin with small dose
of calomel, followed by castor oil.
This not only clears out the intestinal
tract, but also serves to reduce the
fever, whatever may be its cause.
| Methods to reduce the temperature
should be deferred until doctors
diagnosis of the case has been made,
unless the child is extremely restless
or shows other sign Of distress; then
4 the bath is the safest and the most
efficacious.
I Older and sturdy children may be
Immersed in cool bath at temper
allure of about so degrees, or the
temperature of the water may be
gradually lowered from 100 degrees
by the addition Of ice. The body and
head should be sponged freely. and
after five or ten minutes the child
should be dried quickly and wrapped
in warm blanket.
| Young children and infants, how.
ever, especially those who are weak.
/ lyi do not stand cold water well, and
the same applies to the cold pack.
The shock to the nervous system is
too great, and harm or even death
may ensue. For such children "a
warm or tepid bath should be employ
ed at temperature not lower than
80 degrees. If for any reason bath
is impracticable or inadvisable spong.
ing with tepid water, Or equal parts
of alcohol Or vinegar and water, may
be used.
An alternative method is that of
evaporation. The body is loosely
wrapped in one or two layers of
cause, which is moistened from time
to time with water at 115 degrees
evaporation all the while being pro
noted by means of fan. The feet
at the same time should be kept
warm by the Application of hot water
bottles. This may be continued fol
a quarter Or half an hour.
BY these means the body temper
ature is reduced, often to marked
degree, and the nervous system Il
soothed. Frequently, too, the chile
rapidly falls into refreshing sleep.
In cases of continued fever, cases
in which there is evidence of men
nights, an ice-bag lightly applied tc
the head Is of value but this, again
must be used with caution in the case
Of infants, as the continued cold Is
liable to cause a subnormal temper
ature. It's use, therefore. should as
general rule be restricted to rather
oder children.
Antipyretic drugs are rarely neces
sary in early life, and should not b'
, given merely with view to reducing
the temperature. In a general wa!
, the usual symptoms of fever may b'
allayed by a mixture containing cit
, rate of potassium Or magnesia ant
lioucr ammonii aceatis. For olde
, children this may be made to effer
vesce; 1t Is palatable, cooling ant
|, helps to check the thirst.
As rule the patient may be o.
lowed to drink freely and in the cas'
, of infants suffering from diarrhoea
/ infusions OF mild salt solutions unde
the skin are of great benefit. In tn
, case OF infants, milk should be with
held and albumin water alone give'
for twenty-four or thirty six hour
, at least. as in them intestinal toxemi
] ia the commonest cause of fever, an
/ must either be treated or excluded
before the child is allowed to return
to mild diet.
. For children above three years o
: age fluid diet, consisting largely o
= milk, should be ordered. As a rul
, the food should be given cold, and !
, there is vomiting it may be ICED II
respiratory diseases, however. 1t