Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 July 1884 — THE FAMILY DOCTOR. [ARTICLE]

THE FAMILY DOCTOR.

In rheumatic fever the skin of a patient is and you may cause a chill which may have a bad effect; better wait in another room for a | few minutes. There is vp complaint which requires so much gentleness as this. A person in health can form no idea of the suffering. There is not only racking pain in ever joint, but a dread of being touched, or of the slightest breath of air. Even within three or four feet of the patient he will e*y out to you not to tread upon him. The banging of a door, shutting down violently, letting anything fall. All sudden noises must be carefully guarded against. The Care of Children. —The little children die rapidly in all the large cities during the heated term. To prevent this as far as possible attention to the following rules will be found useful : 1. An infant Bhould not be weaned between May 1 and Octeber 1, if it can be avoided. 2. All children under. JL years should be kept in pure cool air as much as possible. 3. The great mortality among infants is mainly due to diarrheal diseases caused by errors in diet, heat and impure air. Beware of over feeding; it is not necessary to feed an infant to quench thirst; a little pure, cold water is often much’ better for the child than milk. 4. Do not use any patent infant foods except when prescribed by a physician. Do not use any complicated nursing bottles having tubes and joints unless extra precautions are taken as to oleanliuess. A common twelve-ounce bottle with a nipple of black rubber is satisfactory. As soon as used the bottle and nipple should be thoroughly rinsed and then kept entirely under water till again wanted. They should never be allowed to get dry. 5. The food for infants recommended by the New York Board of Health is the best and cheapest. It is prepareS as follows: “Boil a teaspoonful of powdered barley (ground in a coffee grinder) and half a pint of water* with a little salt, for fifteen minutes, strain and mix with it half as mrfch boiled milk, add a lump of white sugar size of a walnut, and give it lukewarm. For infants five or six months old give half barley water and half boiled milk. For infants very costive use oatmeal instead of barley, cooking and straining as above.” 6. Give well children an all-over wash ortbath with cool water twice a day. Give them as much fresh air as possible and keep them cool, but be careful that in a sudden fall of temperature they do not get chilled. Light flannel clothing ne&t to the skin is bet-* ter than cotton. 7. Beware of bad smells about the house, but remember that it is not. the smell itself that is dangerous, but what it is a sign of, and, therefore, try to discover and remove the cause of the smell, whether it be a leaky soil pipe, a foul sink or garbage box, a filthy cellar, or gutter, or what not. 8. If a child has diarrhea, consult a physician at once, and do not waste time with domestic remedies. 9. Let those who have no children to care for try to help the thousands who have, but who are too poor to give them a chance for life, by taking them where they can have a few hours’ enjoyment of fresh, pure air. —lrish World.