The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-03-22
Home Nursing
BY N. JESSIE LEircH
Undcrweight Children


JOHNNIE BURNS brought lette
y home from school stating that h
was underweight. His mother was
simply furious.
"A child of mine suffering from NAL
nutrition 2" she demanded, facing hel
husband with the card when he CAM
home to dinner, and spelling his dinner
entirely by one of her rage fits of hys
terra. Il won't believe it. ! slave anc
slave and slave"
Her husband hushed her tenderly
but be looked at little Johnnie reflec
lively.
"The boy is as scrawny as crow
he said. II wonder why / haven
noticed it before.
To which his wife said. weepingly
"If that isn't just like man."
As result of advice from the
school medical inspector, Mr.. Burnt
took his son to the family doctor and
had him examined. The doctor said
the little boys lungs, heart and tonsilt
were entirely normal and that apparent
ly the condition of being under weight
was entirely a matter of diet.
What has he been eating! the
doctor demanded.
"why-ee-the usual things--meat and
potatoes and pie" began the boy s
father, rather helplesly. What had
the boy been in the habit of eating,
he wondered. He had paid little at.
tention to him. being busy man and
a great believer in allowing a wife to
take care of the children. Which isn't
always fair to the woman-or the
child, either.
Meat and potatoes and pie!' The
doctor looked at Johnnie.
1.-The things youngsters like you need
most" he said, ARE sleep, little cod
liver oil occasionally. lots of fresh air
and sunlight, oranges and aples and
well cooked cereal, milk-whole milk.
YOU know, none of this SKINNED stuff
lettuce and carrots and tomatoes and
spinach and beet tops and kale. And
not so many pota toes, not much bread
and no tea or coffee! And no candy
except after meals"
The doctor spoke quite sternly and
Johnnie looked little scared.
81 don't like milk he said. $50 my
mother lets me drink weak tea"
IF you knew it would make you big
and strong and perhaps make you
stand at the head of Your class, and
certainly make you eligible for the
football team next year-would you
drink milk every day instead Of tea
the doctor asked. He had boy of his
own and he knew the boy mind.
Would /? Oh. Gee! I'll say
would y And Johnnie's pale eyes be-
gan to shine. He was the weakline
in his class and sensitive because he
had no "muscles"
So Johnnie began to eat properly
His mother and father were enthu'
siastic about it and Johnnie became de-
voted to health facts and food lore.
He chewed his food and ate slowly
and even though he hated porridge he
forced himself to eat it each morning
without sugar, and covered with tor
milk. He gulped down a quart of mill
a day with his eyes shut lat first) UNI
til he actually grew to like it.
For every weekend the magic needle
of the scales in his mothers bathroom
pointed up-a little. And he began
to gain.
He felt stronger and more like run
ming and shouting in the sunshine. A
little shamefacedly, in case his mother
might hear, he began to include in hi
bedtime prayer a plea for a sunshiney
day." He came home from schoo
breathless and hungry and he ate al
the food that was placed before hin
without a question. Best of all
Johnnie never again brought home {
card saying that he was underweight