OUR BABIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3258, 23 August 1916, Page 55

OUR BABIES.

Br IiYGKTA..

Published under tho auspleM of tho Royal Nov/ Zealand Society for the Heaitt? ol Women and Children. "It is wiser to put up a tenon nt the lop of a precipice than to 'naio'.atn au ambulance at the bottom." COLDS AND ADENOIDS. I promised last week to give some authoritative, data showing tho great importance of exercise in preventing the tendency to "catch cold," and the connection between catching cokl and adenoids. 1 think I cannot do better than quote an admirable analysis of this matter contained lit the text-book on "Die-eases of the Nose,"' by Dr Ernest Wag.gett, a leading London specialist. 1 shall make verbatim extracts, merely modifying hero and there in order to make tho essential meaning clear to the lay reader and to avoid medical technicalities. How Colds A he Caught. Acuto colds are caught in two different ways, and are said to bo due either to infection or to chill. 1. Infection. —Sometimes a cold definitely runs through a household, and one must supposo that tho essential element hero is tho actual virulence of the micro-organism. 2. Chill and Exposure.—The onset of a cold is much more commonly the result of chill and exposure. Ono may gain some ido't of the nature of this affair by :•. personal experiment. Choose a moment when your nose feels perfectly well to commence'it. Sit down in an overheated room in your indoor clothes with thin socks on your feet and no boota; open, the window io tho raw winter evening's air, and arrange for a draught slowly to chill tho lower part of vour person. At first you probably experienco no dificomfort at all, but after an interval you will find your nose feeling unduly dry arid patent. After an hour or so you will find the nose becoming blocked, and a sense of dragging weight is felt about tho eyes.. A little later your nose will

begin to run clear fluid, and if yon examine this you will find that it contains microorganisms in small growing clumps. It would seem that by sitting- in the cold you have up<set some local protective mechanism in the nose., and allowed the bacteria, which are, of course, always being deposited from the inhaled air, to pain a foothold and to multiply. . . . Whatever the explanation, you will learn thai the "common cold" of exposure may b'* prevented, and even cut short in its initial stages, by deep-breathing', and, better still, by active exorcise, such as running. You will find that many middle-aged people who formerly complained of repeated nasal catarrh have been cured by adopting some routine form of gymnastic exercise. Children of sedentary habits, and particularly those who are allowed to spend part of their day in overheated, ill-venti-lated rooms, and other parts of it loafing about the streets without sufficient clothing. are the special victims of chronic nasal catarrh and of adenoids. The essential PREVENTIVE OF ADENOIDS IS GOOD DOMESTIC MGIfcNE, COUPLED WITH INCENTIVES TO CONSTANT MUSCULAR EXEEfISK. Active Campers-out Don't Catch Cold. It is singularly interesting to go into camp with a volunteer corps composed of men leading a sedentary city life, and having none of the appearances of exuberant health. While' under canvas and do'ng hard physical work, they may be wet through day after day and sleep in the mud. hut you will hardly ever see a man showing the bust sign of a cold in the head. Adenoids Due To Repeated Colds. It. is most important to bear in mind that the common cause of adenoids is repeated nasal catarrh, and that the catarrh is mainly due to imperfect domestic and personal hygiene. Well ventilated homes and schools, good clothes, and regular oxer eises, as well as the active playing of games will, of course, not entirely prevent the occurrence of colds in children. Whso they do occur it in quite worth while to bring them to a speedy end by confinement to bed. . ._ . When the great importance oif these facte becomes generally recognised, the disease of adenoids will become less, prevalent, and the proper attitude of the profession towards it will bo one of preventive medicine. Meanwhile wo are confronted with an enormous numb'']- of cases of adenoids, and the important point to bear in mind is that a child who is "permitted to go through the period of the second dentition with nasal obstruction will bear the marks of tin's neglect throughout his life. Educate the Mothers and NURSES. The duly of the medical profession which lies next to that of prevention is to educate AL'. MOTHERS AND NURSES INTO A RECOGNITION OF THE EARLY STAGES Off THE DISEASE—for as a rule children are brought to the hospital only when some serious secondary effect frightens the mother. Next week we shall continue this article, showing what the mothers or nurse should loo!: out for as signs of adenoids, and shall also refer to treatment.