CORRESPONDENCE.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12484, 10 March 1909, Page 4

CORRESPONDENCE.

THRUSH. "Stitch in" Time," writing from the back country, asks what she is to do !to prevent her baby getting thrush. She says:— "My baby is quite healthy so far. She . was breast-fed for four months. For the last five weeks' she has been doing very well on humanised milk, but I am very anxious for fear she should catch thrush. Our neighbour's baby is quite dangerously ill with, it..-.. -An old nurse who was with me after ray confinement mentioned that the. disease was catching, and told me that the best preventaiive was to wipe the baby's mouth out with a rag dipped in water and, borax every morning and evening. I did not do this until last week, when I got alarmed on seeing how ill my friend's baby had become; but have done it since. Is thrush easily carried from one baby to another, and what is the -best : means of treating the disease when it has come?" PRESERVING THE TEETH. Several letters have been received asking how best to preserve the teeth. ■-■-.•:■• . REPLY. The essentials for the prevention of thrush and for th.6 p/reservation»of teeth are identical — namely, the maintenance of good general* health and vigour. When speaking of thrush, the old nurse was quite right up to a certain point; Microbes are present in the wHi-fc^' r>atolies of -felurusH, &&d -blaese can be conveyed from" one baby to another. These microbes are associated with the disease' in the same way that tubercle gernis are associated with consurcption^ior .the germs.^of caries' with bad teeth.-; but it should be remembered that' in-general harinfulgerms can-: not establish themselves and flourish on a healthy person. To prevent the growth in the mouth of colonies of germs" of. thrush, or colonies of . the germs of dental caries, the main tiring is to -keep the baby in vigorous health. In the - case of thrush this is practically all that is needed.