FoodNetArchive

The Ideal cook book

1899

Page 157

Presented as published in 1899. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
Domestic treatment should never be trusted in such terrible affections as these, not a moment should be lost in sending for the medical man. If anything may be done in the meantime, it is—1, in eines of the two former cases to lance the gums; 2, to evacuate the bowels by the warm water injection, made more active by the addition of Brown Sugar; 3, and then to administer the warn bath. An important point, never to be forgotten in the hurry of these cases, is to reserve the evacuations for inspection, otherwise the physician wil be deprived of a very important source of judgment. In case of fits arising plainly from exhaustion, there need be no hesitation in giving five drops of sal volatile in water, light nourishment may be added ; the feet must be fomented and the recumbent posture preserved. In fits arising from an affection of the heart the symptom is urgent difficulty of breathing ; the child. seems as if it would lose its breath and expire. In such acase, fo do nothing is the best course; all self-possession must be summoned, and the infant kept perfectly quiet. Every change of posture, every effort, is attended with danger. Sometimes the attacks assume the character of croup; there is a crowing cough, and breathing ; or there is a difficulty of breathing, and then a crowing inspiration. ‘The former case is generally croup ; the latter is, in reality, a fit dependent on the morbid condition of the brain or spinal marrow, although it takes the appearance of an affection of the organs of respira- tion. In either case it is well to clear the bowels by means of the slow injection of from a quarter to half a pint of warm water, with or without brown sugar ; indeed, this is the most gener- ally and promptly useful of all our remedies in infantile dis- eases. ‘To this the warm bath may always be added, if admin- istered with due caution. For instance, it should not be continued so as to induce much flushing or paleness of the countenance. : 275 THe Dominion Cook Boor. 2 993. Mleasles. Measies commences with the ordinary symptoms of fever. — The attack is almost invariably attended with inflammation of the mucous membrane lining the air passages ; the eyes are red and watery; there is defluxion from the nostrils, hoarse- — ness, and cough. The eruption commonly appears on the fourth day, at first about the head and neck, then the trunk and arms, and finally reaching the lower extremities ; it takes two or three days to complete its course, and when it reaches the feet and legs has often begun to disappear from the face. All ages are liable to it. When the eruption is fully out, the cough, at first dry and troublesome, generally becomes softer and less frequent, and at the end of six or seven days from the coming out of the first papules they have disappeared. When danger occurs, it is from inflammation of the air passages. In all ordinary cases simple diet, the maintenance of an equable temperature, plenty of diluent drinks, attention should be paid to the bowels, as they should be kept gently open ; if a roasted apple or a little manna in the drink will not do this, give a mild saline aperient such as ipecacuanha wine and sweet spirits of nitre, 1 drachm; of tartrate of potash, 4 drachms ; solution of acetate of ammonia, 1 ounce; syrup of poppies, 2 drachms ; cinnamon or dill water sufficient to make 4 ounces ; dose, a table or dessert spoonful three or four times a day. Where there is much heat of the skin, sponging with tepid vinegar and water will commonly relieve it, and also the itch- ing. On the third or fourth day after the subsidence of the eruption a little opening medicine should be given and care must be taken to protect the patient against change of weather, and to restore the strength by a nourishing diet. Attention should be paid to the cough, and the proper remedies given if required.