PUERPERAL MANIA is nearly always preceded by restlessness, want of sleep, and other premonitory symptoms. When the mania first comes on there is usually causeless dislike to those around her, and as the child may be the object of suspicion, the nurse must be extremely careful that the patient does not have an opportunity to seriously injure it. The course of treatment must be mainly directed to the maintenance of the strength of the patient, and the two things most needful are a sufficient quantity of suitable food and sleep. Possibly your efforts in this direction before the disease is fully developed, may ward off the disease. PUERPERAL SEPTICEMIA was formerly called puerperal fever; as its nature is now better understood than formerly, we hope to do more than was formerly done to prevent it. This fever is now very generally believed to be produced by the absorption of septic matter into the system, through some tear or laceration in the generative tract such as exists after labor. This septic matter may be from within the patient such as coagula, or membrane, or placenta partly decomposed; or from without as might be on the hands of physician and nurse, or in the air from cases of erysipelas, &c., or in some way from puerperal patients. The notion that puerperal fever and septicemia is produced by BACTERIA has now become an established doctrine, and has given rise to a rational treatment based thereon, especially for their prevention. As prophylactic means may be mentioned, the use of a carbolic solution 1 in 30 which the practitioner or nurse applies before touching any case, the use of carbolized oil 1 in 8 for lubricating the fingers, catheter, forceps, &c.; syringing out the vagina with diluted Condy’s fluid, rigid attention to cleanliness in napkins, &c. The nurse should use antiseptics to only a very limited extent without the advice of a physician. CHAPTER IV. CARE OF INFANT CHILDREN. Infants sometimes require treatment for ailments either slight or severe when the advice of a physician cannot be obtained. The NAVAL is sometimes a little sore after the naval string comes away. It may be dressed by putting a little simple cerate or vaseline or carbolized cosmoline on lint or a linen rag, and applying it to the part affected every morning, and a bread poultice every night until it is quite healed. A RUPTURE OF THE NAVAL is sometimes caused by much crying, and it may be occasioned by the nurse pulling on the cord to remove it before it will readily separate from the infant’s body. The best treatment is a piece of adhesive plaster as large as the top of a tumbler, with a properly adjusted pad made of several folds of muslin fastened on the plaster, which will keep the bowels from protruding. The bandage or belly band can be put on over this.