Year: 1872




From the Pkiladelphia Lcdger.l


With the first heat of June in all
our largo cities comes cholera infan-
tum and the summer complaints of
children, of which it is the eLief and
most unmapageable and fatal. Di-
arrhWa and dysentcrY have each their
victims IN the same calss of subjects
OF the medical treatment and means
OF cure we are not called upon TO
speak IN these columns, the less SO,
indeed, as on these points physicians
are not agreed. The more important
consideration is to prevent the com
ing on of the disease aud tho use of
all hygienie agencies which preserve
the he'lth of children. Chief among
ali tie causes of cholera infanCum
are high and sustained atmospheric
heat and defective ventilation, so
that the little sufferers are breathing
not only a heated but an impure air,
which exerts a poisonous operation
on the organization, and most on the
nervous and digestive systems. The
next exciting Gauss of the disease in
question is indigestible food, which
the stomach is unable to reduce TO
homogeneous whole, out of which
chyle and blood are formed, but, in
stead, disturbs the stomach, causes
sickness and vomiting, or, if it pass
es into the bowels, gives rise to di-
arrhea Greatly predisposing the
little sufferer to be affected in these
ways is the irritating fever from
teething, and henoc il an infant,
while teething, live at the same time
in hot and impure air, and uses
indigestible and gross food, no ned
icine or combination of medicines
viii be of much if any avail.


Success in procuring relief for the
sick infant viii depend on the abili-
ty to remove or modify the morbid
causes above stated. For this pur
pose the patient should be taken
from its close and badly ventilated
quarters and allowed to breathe a
purer and fresher air In one or more
of our pablo squares, or especially
IN the park. Hours should be thus
spent daily. Proper food can be
taken by the mother or nurse for
the little one, which may thus be
made to pass almost entire days ID q
yivifying atmosphere of 1nitigated
temperature, and acquire new life to
toar up under the debilitating effects
of the close and often crowded sleep
ing rooms II courts and alleys IN
which a renewal of air is scarcely OBJ
fosn ~ III FraAh N,o b.
much impressed with the importance
of snatching a half-hOur even for es-
cape with their children into more
open and cooler quat ters. Both as
preventive and cure most valuable is
the inhalation Of the pure air On
board the numerous steamboats,, IN
crossing or sailing up and down the
Delaware river. Similarly advanta-
geous, but with more pleasing scene
ry, is a passage up and down the
SchuylkIl, or into the romantic Wis
sahickon. Not little may be done
to diminish and prevent exhaustion
from the extreme heat, by bathing
the infant In water Of the river tenn
perature, or that flowing from the
bydrants, early IA the morning, ana
in the evening by usipg the water for


DIV bath milkwarm. The bath
should be followed on both occa-
sions by thorough drying and fric-
ton of the skin


Continual errors in infantile diet
are committed by parents giving
their children strong, gross food,
such as they use themselves. An at
tack of cholera infantum or Of diar-
rhea, is often brought on in hot
weather by a sudden change Of food
for the infant, in substituting for the
mothers milk, as in the process OF
weaving, the ordinary food of
the table, and this In not always lin
tied quantity. Hence mothers should
not attempt to wean their ehildreR
/ during the summer months, except
under very. peculiar circumstance,
! and coufselledby the physician. The