The Physical Training of ChildrenChavasse, Pye Henry
Science
The Physical Training of Children
Chavasse, Pye Henry
Child care; Children -- Health and hygiene
Besides, it inducts an infant into clean habits. I know many careful
mothers who have accustomed their children, after the first three
months, to do without diapers altogether. It causes at first a little
trouble, but that trouble is amply repaid by the good consequences that
ensue; among which must be named the dispensing with such incumbrances
as diapers. Diapers frequently chafe, irritate, and gall the tender skin
of a baby. But they cannot, of course, at an early age be dispensed
with, unless a mother has great judgment, sense, tact, and perseverance,
to bring her little charge into the habit of having the bowels relieved
and the bladder emptied every time he is either held out or put upon his
chair.
Before giving an infant a particle of aperient medicine, try, if the
bowels are costive, the effect of a little _raw_ sugar and water, either
half a teaspoonful of raw sugar dissolved in a teaspoonful or two of
water, or give him, out of your fingers, half a teaspoonful of raw sugar
to eat. I mean by _raw_ sugar, not the white, but the pure and
unadulterated sugar, and which you can only procure from a respectable
grocer. If you are wise, you will defer as long as you can giving an
aperient. If you once begin, and continue it for awhile, opening
medicine becomes a dire necessity, and then woe-betide the poor
unfortunate child!
It might sometimes be necessary to give opening medicine, but the less
frequently the better. The following, when it becomes absolutely
necessary to give an aperient, are some of the best, simple, and safe
that can be administered by a mother to her baby. I give you several, as
it might be well, from time to time, to vary them: (1.) One or two
teaspoonfuls of fluid magnesia, made palatable by the addition of a
little sugar, may be chosen; or (2.) The popular remedy of syrup of
rhubarb and castor oil:
Take of—Syrup of Rhubarb,
Castor Oil, of each half an ounce:
To make a Mixture. A teaspoonful to be taken early in the morning,
first well shaking the bottle.
It might be well again to state, that the bottle must be _violently_
shaken _just_ before administering the mixture, or the oil will not mix
with the syrup; or (3.) A teaspoonful of syrup of rhubarb, without the
admixture of the castor oil may be given early in the morning
occasionally; or (4.) A teaspoonful of equal parts, say half an ounce of
each, of fluid magnesia and of syrup of rhubarb, may be taken for a
change. Another safe and palatable aperient for an infant is (5.) Syrup
of senna, from a half to a whole teaspoonful being the dose. Castor oil
is another medicine prescribed for a baby’s costiveness, and, being a
safe one, may occasionally be used. Care should be taken to have the
castor oil freshly drawn, and of the best quality. (6.) Syrup of red
roses and castor oil (of each equal parts), being a good, elegant, and
pleasant way of giving it:
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.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account