Those Children Who Won't Eat

Evening Star, Issue 23113, 12 November 1938, Page 3

Those Children Who Won't Eat

The Diary of a Doctor Who Tells

Monday, November 7. “ She’ll hardly 'eat a thing,” said Mrs Wintley, discussing her four-year-old Helen to-day. “ I tried being Stern with her and she just shut her mouth so tightly that I couldn’t even force a drop of milk in. I remembered what you said about not fussing over her or coaxing her too much, but that’s the only way. Otherwise she’d just starve. Her Daddy and I are terribly worried and we wonder whether you’d mind if wo saw a specialist. It’s so hard to believe that there’s nothing wrong with her.” “ I’d be glad if you went to a specialist with her,” I said, “ and I’ll give you the names of half a dozen or so from which to select. But I want to make the point that I did. not say that there was nothing wrong with her. There’s something quite wrong, but it’s psychological and not physical. The point is that, as far as I know, she has nothing wrong with hef inside.” “ But we’ve tried everything,” protested her mother, “ and she’s getting thinner all the time.” “ There’s one thing you haven’t tried,” I said, “ and I still think it’s the only thing.” “ You mean that idea of yours about sending her to hospital for -two or three weeks?” asked Mrs Wintley. “ What’s the good of hospital if she’s not sick?” “ She wants a new set of people and friends associated with her meals. No one would fuss round her and I think she would quickly fall into line with the other children. If either you or your husband had brothers and sisters with a largo family I would suggest sending them thve, but unlianpilv that isn’t .possible.” , “ I’ll talk it over with her father,” said Mrs Wintley. # « • * Children love attention and do all they can to be the centre of the stage, especially if they think that they’re out of anything. Making a fuss about eating is a sure way to alarm mother and father and tp make sure of getting the limelight three times a day; even healthy normal children occasionally try it oh. Which reminds me of another little girl who drove her parents to desperation about not eating. ’

‘‘ Is there anything at. all you’d like, Darling,” said the mother after two hpurs of arguing over breakfast. “ I’d like a worm to eat,” said the child brightly. The family doctor- was rung, and that good man, being very fed up, thought that a worm would be quite a good idea. Accordingly the father went out and got one. - “I want it cooked with butter,” said the child petulantly when it was brought to her. They cooked it with butter, hut then the child screamed that she wanted daddy to eat half, of it first. Mustering superhuman courage daddy obliged, but the only result was further loud screams and a mouth, shut as tight as a safe. “ Now, what’s the matter, darling?” said mother. “ Daddy ate the half I wanted,” was the answer. Tuesday, November 8, 11 If I’ve got to have glasses I .want those modern contact affairs that fit inside your eyelid and no one can see them,” said 'Pamela Prince this morning. I told her that, she’d have to argue that out with the eye specialist. “ Only don’t tell him that they’re modern,” I warned her. , “ Aren’t they?” said Pamela in some surprise, “,I’vo only just heard of them.” " '■ “They’re been on the market for 50 years,” I replied, “ though admittedly the work with them is still experimental.’ Though I don’t pretend to any special knowledge of the eye I think it’s right to , say that all cases are not considered suitable for them.” Wednesday, November 9. “ It was a pimple when it began, hut now it seems to be turning into a large boil,” said William Trenrar, pointing ruefully to the back of his neck. “ I messed about with it, I’m afraid, and it’s comas’ up a lot the last couple of days.” ,

Trenrar referred to the fact that boils seem to occur just where the thick hair begins at the back of the neck. X agreed with him and added that clogged pores, and infected hair roots were thought to have much to do with their origin. ' i “ You don’t mean I’m dirty?” asked William suspiciously. “ We’re all dirty from the surgical point of view,” 1 replied. “ That’s, why the surgeon carefully sterilises tha skin before he operates on it. Hair is particularly prone to hold dust and dirt. If you don’t believe me give your head a good hot water and soap wash when you get home to-night and have a look at the water.” “ Another point,” I continued, “ is that pressure on the skin, especially! the tight pressure exerted by a tight shirt collar round the neck, helps toi clog the pores and prevent, them breathing freely. Boils often occur' around the collar line in men.” In the care of the skin I know of nothing better than hot water and a mild soap. , Thursday, November 10. Drama in the suburbs to-day. I was in the middle of ushering a newcomer into the world when a member of the household rushed into thp room and said that one of the Robinson children had taken poison, no bna knew what, and would I come at once* ‘‘But you wouldn’t leave here, doctor, would you,” pleaded the mother-to-be’s sister. “ I’ll tell them to get another doctor.” ' ’ The maternity case was much moral serious than they knew and I couldn’t leave. Time, however, is the essence of the contract in poisoning and something urgent was required. I went to the phone. “ Give Hilda some mustard and water right away,” I said, “ and then get a taxi or stop any passing car and take her to the hospital. I’ll ring the resident and tell him you’re coming* They’ll have antidotes and other facilities at the'hospital.” .* • • • I always think it’s better to take a poison case straight to a hospital. A doctor cannpt carry every known antidote and at a properly equipped hospital treatment can be given much more quickly and effectively. Professional help in the form of expert nursing is also available. _ Immediate treatment can consist of giving an emetic (for most poisons), of which mustard and water is probably handiest, keeping the patient warm and stimulated. Friday, November 11. “The wretched mosquitoes seem to be here' again,”, said Mrs Yardley* “The children get bitten very badly* I suppose there really isn’t anything you can do about it.” “The net is useful at night,_ of course,” I replied. .“ Of all the various methods of frightening them away, personally, I like, best oil of citronella or some compound containing it.” “ How about the lump when you get it. Do you have to extract the oita like a bee sting or something? ” “ Strangely enough,” I replied, “ it is now being said that the lump is not so much due to the bite as to something we call anaphylactic shock* Scent isn’t a bad household thing to put on as a sort of doubtful local amssthetic.” • * • • Of course, we shouldn’t let mosquitoes worry us at all. We know how they breed, how to stop them breeding, and thus exterminate themselves., In spite of this we permit untreated pools in the heart of even our biggest cities. • j • • The perfect cure and early relief from mosquito bites was described ■thus by a fiery-faced dweller in the tropics. ' “Gad, sir, they’re easy enough toi handle. Hirst of all you have to get drunk enough not to feel their bites and then they eventually get too drunk to bite you.” (Nantes in this Dairy are fictitious.} (Copyright.)