Year: 1879

in early life. The delicacy and rapid
growth OF this topmost organ makes it
very susceptible to many influences that
it easily repels in after years It doubles
its weight within the first three years of
life. 1t is not at birth SO well protected
as it will be in few later years. It be-
gins its outer life with covering of many
pieces. The angles at which some Of
these parts meet are soft and yielding.
SO we need not wonder that convulsions
or disturbances of the brain are common
in infancy. Some infants are more liza
BILE to them than others. Some have
nervous system SO easily disquieted, that
easily digested food may so disturb the
| allmentary canal as to cause sad results
OF convulsive character. AS fast as the
brain Increases in growth and firmness,
and It's structure is more and more com
| plete and able to resist many adverse
circumstances of the outer world, convul-
slons cease. AS the spasms begin, the
child utters distressing shrek, peculiar
to the cerebral maladies of infancy The
upper and lower limbs contract All the
features OF the face are spasmodically dis
torted. The jaws strike violently and
firmly against each other and often Sc
Verely wound the tongue The eye-lids
open widely. At first the child vomits
simply the contents of its stomach, but
soon elects a greenish mucous fluid.
Other indications of cerebral diseases sue
ceed. The respiration is more unequal
and irregular. The early indications
grow worse and worse


These and similar indications mean not
SO much, or, only that the nervous sys-
tenn is irritated and thrown into an alb
normal state as that the brain itself, the
source and centre of all nerve power is
diseased. The bowels are more or less
disturbed. Nausea and vomiting occur.
The pupils are more or less concealed
under the upper lid. The eve balls are
sometimes spasmodically drawn from
side to side. The head is usually retract-
ed, all the limbs are alternately contract
ed and relaxed. The thumbs thrown
across the palms are more closely clinch-
ed by the fingers than at first. The pulse
and breath are fastened The respira-
ton is usually irregular. Other abnor-
NAL conditions might be noted, but we
have given number sufficient to mark
the malady.


| Convulsions are not hereditary, but a
tendency to them may be- They occur
in the initial stages OF eruptive maladies,
as measles and scarletina. They are oc-
casionally induced by the peculiar condi-
OF the mothers milk, produced by violent
emotions, as anger and deep grief. Slight
causes may induce this alarming malady.
But whatever the immediate cause may
be, this result is irritative of the nervous
system. The brain, as the scource of
nervous power, sympathizes with the irri-
tated organ.


| Convulsions may not have premonitory
symptoms. Nothing occurs to warn the
mother OF what is soon to happen. The
child, from a quiet state, passes at once
into convulsive one, usually, however,
certain indications appear to those who
can interpret them.


The muscles around the mouth and eyes
may twitch. The eyes may be fixed for
a few moments on some object, or on
vacancy. The thumbs may be drawn
across the palms. The fingers may
clinch them The child notices neither
words nor persons. He soon changes the
direction of his eyes, throwing them
spasmodically upward, or squirting, for
a greater Or less length Of time AS sad
and frightful as such commissions are to
the mother and her friends, they are less
alarming than they seem to be. AS soon
as the spasms begin, or earlier, the appar-
ent sufferer loses all sense of pain, and is
really not sufferer at all. Give him an
enema of spearmint tea, a teaspoon of
warm castor oil, and very warm blanket
bath. Within ten to twenty 1ninntes the
spasmodic action of the muscles will cease
and the child will fall into quiet sleep,
and within two hours, will awake re-
freshed and ready to indulge in his usual
plays. We do not mean that all convuls
. ions end SO well. A large percentage of
them do. Those nearly always do that
arise from mere irritation Of the nervous
} system. Now and then convulsions may
arise from some disease of the brain it
self