OUR BABIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3148, 15 July 1914, Page 74

OUR BABIES.

By Hygeia.

Published under the auspices of ths Society for the Health of Women and Children. “ It is wiser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom.” , COMMON COLDS. At the conclusion of last week’s article I was dealing with Dr Prosser White’s book, “Catarrhal Fevers, Commonly Called Colds,” and I do not think I can do better than give his account of the loading features of the onset of the malady. Of course, most of us have had personal experience of colds ourselves, but how many of us have taken the trouble to marshal the symptoms and to notice the fact that they are just what we rind in the rarer diseases which wo all dread under the name of fevers? In the case of ‘colds,” familiarity tends to breed contempt; but we should remember that far more, children die of colds and their consequences than die of scarlet fever, measles, and all the other diseases of infancy* put together, with the exception of Infantile Diarrhoea; and even this is greatly predisposed to by the baby being subject to colds. Further, the same measures that render a child hardy and resistive to colds, and capable of throwing them off readily, also tends to render him safe as regards all other fevers and illnesses. The following is Dr Prosser White’s account of a common cold, or, as he prefers to call it, an attack of Catarrhal Fever: — SYMPTOMS. Tire classical signs found in the household, common, infective, or influenzal colds, or, as I prefer to call it, “catarrhal fever,” are associated with a distinct train of subjective symptoms. An irritation, itching, and smarting in the back of the nose, or back of tho throat. This itching and dryness is of a very troublesome nature, and primarily may affect any part the upper respiratory tract. To relieve this discomfort frequent attempts at swallowing are performed, the saliva is forced by the tongue against tho soft palate, and the. friction aj-id moisture so produced give a transitory feeling of relief. The area of fulness and distress in a few hours increases. The nose feels stuffy and blocked, breathing becomes difficult, and has to be carried on through the mouth. Pain, varying in intensity', follows on swallowing, or on pressing under tho angles of ths jaw. Frontal headache, slight or severe, which may be relieved by running from the eyes or running from the nose; the latter is sometimes profuse’ a,nd abundant, and excoriates the parts, rendering tho mucous membrane of the nose and the skin of the upper lip tender and painful to touch. As the' catarrh of the nose and throat spreads to the contiguous parts, congestion and swelling results, causing deafness, usually in one, sometimes in both cars, due to swelling and blocking of the tubes to the ears. The voice becomes harsh, speech being difficult and painful. The tongue is dry or coated, a feeling of thirst is produced, loss of taste ensues, and the senso of smell is perverted or impaired. Then follows a constant desire to hawk

up the increasing secretions from the' back of the throat, and the mucous membrane of the bronchial tubes. The usual relish for food is absent or capricious, depending upon the severity of the attack. The skin is dry and hot, later on moist. Malaise, iistles-ness, and great nervous prostration are invariably concomitants n. severo cases, and even in slight cases, in susceptible individuals, are some of the most prominent and difficult after-effects to combat. Aches, pains, and nausea arc usually transient experiences, and depend upon the severity and extent of the affection, and probably the idiosyncrasies and constitution of the individual. Idiosyncrasy here represents immunity, or predisposition, acquired or hereditary. As the catarrh passes on to the bronchi, cough and expectoration become more pre*nounecd. In the early stages the secretion is sticky and small in quantity; later on, or in the subjects of previous attacks, it becomes profuse, purulent, or watery. In uncomplicated cases of catarrhal fever the bronchial affection is but slight, the nose and throat irritation causing the greater trouble. The stomach can be affected in a similar manner. In some persons the stomach affection seems to take the place of the bronchial catarrh. If one carefully sifts out particulars of the ailments of a family in which catarrhal fever is running through a house, their sites of attack are so various that one is apt to look upon them as different diseases. In some instances it appears chiefly to affect the nose or throat or middle ear; in others it rapidly passes on to the bronchial tubes; occasionally subacute attacks of indigestion, probably from the direct passage of the germ to the lining membrance of the stpmach. cause inability to take certain foods without pain or discomfort. Particularly is this the case in subjects liable to acute or chronic inflammation of the stomach; in them it may light up and maintain an inflammatory cond : tion frr some time, and, to mv mind, explains this frequent enigma: Why a. sufferer from chronic stomach trouble visits you, who is quite unable to offer any explanation as to the wherefore of her being worse,- being unable to attribute it to any indiscretion in diet. Under these circumstances I invariably ask .whether there have been any catarrhal colds in the house, and if she has been affected, however slightly. Diarrhoea, as a direct consequence of this condition, may, of course, be possible, and is frequently popularly attributed to it. Shivering, chills, or rigours are probably constant symptoms in catarrhal fever, although the sensation of chill may bo so slight in mild cases, and in healthy incljvidua’s. as hardly to be noticed. It is from this feeling of. general and local coldness the disease begets its name. Shivering is usually the first indication of ill-hcalt.h, and the chilliness is felt in the shoulders, back, or legs, and is usually looked upon as the cause, whereas it is solely one of the initial symptoms of the developing disease, and no more a cruise than the headache, sneezing, sore throat, etc. BABIES’ COLDS. A disease, accompanied by this complete upset of the whole body, is a serious enough event in the life of an adult; but it is a much more serious thing for the baby. Yet children often have half & dozen colds in the first year of life, every one of which could easily be avoided if mothers would only give their babies plenty of fresh air and exercise, clothe them properly, make their beds properly, and pay due attention to the other primary rights of infancy summarised on the first two pages of “Feeding and Care of Baby.” The leading authorities on the nose and throat are now satisfied that, along with such causes as careless bottle-feeding, the use of the dummy and pap-feeding (all leading to defective growth of tongue, mouth, jaws, teeth, and nose), repeated colds are the main cause of Adenoids.