The maternal management of children, in health and diseaseBull, Thomas
Science
The maternal management of children, in health and disease
Bull, Thomas
Child care
The removal of the cause of the disorder, then, in a large number of
instances of derangement of the stomach and bowels, if effected early,
will cure the disease, and without further remedy. But it will be
asked, by what method is this cause to be detected? In this way. In all
human probability the primary cause of the disorder is connected with
the diet; this is the case in ninety-nine instances out of a hundred.
Well, then, is the sick child at the breast? If so, ascertain whether
the breast-milk is healthy and wholesome, or whether any circumstances
exist which have rendered it otherwise? If nothing faulty is found
here, the next question would naturally be, whether the rules and
regulations laid down for suckling have been strictly adhered to? Or,
whether the infant is sufficiently old to render it at all probable
that a tooth may be irritating the gum?
Perhaps the child is being weaned; well, is there any error here? Is
the change being attempted too early? or too suddenly and abruptly? If
this is not the case, then, has the child been overfed, or is the food
given of the proper description?
Is the child being brought up by hand? Then, there is every reason to
suspect, either that the quality of the food given is not the most
suitable, or, that the quantity exhibited is too great; in fact, that
the rules laid down for "artificial feeding" have not been strictly
acted upon.
By a mode of investigation like this, any defect or error in the
dietetic management of the infant producing the disorder will be easily
detected by a careful mother; and its correction alone will, in very
many instances, be all that is necessary to remove the symptoms.
For example, if flatulence and griping, followed by diarrhoea, occur
to an infant at the breast; if at the same time it becomes pale, its
flesh flabby, its disposition fretful, always crying until it is put to
the breast, the nipple of which it grasps eagerly, sucking eagerly, yet
never satisfied, for its hunger continues, it is not nourished; if,
too, the more it sucks, the more the stomach and bowels are deranged,
the more it vomits and is purged; depend upon it the cause of all the
evil will be found to be unwholesome milk. No medicine will avail any
thing here; the cause must be removed; the best medicine, and the only
remedy, is a breast of healthy milk. And if this is not procured
early, there will be great danger of a diarrhoea setting in, which may
probably prove fatal to the child.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account