Maintaining Health (Formerly Health and Efficiency)Alsaker, Rasmus Larssen
Science
Maintaining Health (Formerly Health and Efficiency)
Alsaker, Rasmus Larssen
Diet; Hygiene
No matter what the reason is for depriving the infant of its natural
food, the parents should realize that its chances for health and life
are diminished by this act. If intelligence and care are used in raising
the bottle-fed babies only a few will die, in fact none will die under
the circumstances, provided they were born with a normal amount of
resistance. So it behooves parents of such babies to be extremely
careful. That there are difficulties in the way, or rather
inconveniences, can not be denied, but there are no insurmountable
obstacles.
The best common substitute for mother's milk is cow's milk. If clean and
given in moderation it will agree with the child and produce no untoward
results.
Instead of using the same bottle all the time, there should be a number,
so that there will be plenty of time to clean them. If three feeds are
given each day, there should be six bottles. If four feeds are given,
eight bottles. Use a set every other day. The bottles should be rinsed
out after being used. Then boil them in water containing soda or a
little lye, rinse in several waters and set them aside. If it is sunny,
let them stand in the sun. Before using, rinse again in sterile water.
The nipples should have equally good care. In feeding babies cleanliness
comes before godliness.
Each bottle is to be used for but one feeding, and as many bottles are
to be prepared as there are to be feedings for the day.
If the people live in the country it is easy to get pure milk. If in the
city one should make arrangements with a reliable milk man possessed of
a conscience. It is well to get the milk from a certain cow, instead of
taking a mixture coming from many cows. Select a healthy animal that
does not give very rich milk, such as the Holstein. She should have what
green food she wants every day, grass in summer, and hay of the best
quality and silage in winter. The grain ration should be moderate, for
cows that are forced undergo quick degeneration. They are burned out.
The cow should not be worried or whipped. She should be allowed to be
happy, and animals are happy if they are treated properly. The water
supply should be clean, not from one of the filthy tubs or troughs which
disgrace some farms. The barn should be light and well ventilated. It
should be kept clean and free from the ammonia fumes which are found in
filthy stables. The cow should be brushed and the udder washed before
each milking. The milker should wash his hands and have on clothes from
which no impurities will fall. The first part of the milk drawn should
not be put in with that which is to supply the baby. The milk should be
drawn into a clean receptacle and immediately strained through sterile
surgeon's cotton into glass bottles. These are to be put aside to cool,
the contents not exposed to the dust falling from the air. Or the milk
may be put directly into the nursing bottles and put aside in a cold
place until needed. Then warm milk to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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