OUR BABIES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 13707, 23 September 1908, Page 2

OUR BABIES.

V"; ■-'";"'"'.. : BTiHjKgeia.

It is wiser, to iP a P w afc : the XOJ> , of a. f precipioe than to maintain a a :: - ambulance.at SKIS' DISEASE- A>-D,A\EAiv CHEST. "Anxious mot-hev "■; •writes :■—.■ •:-"-I- shall regarding sixths.old, and entirely * breast-led ; . -~ :. ; . \u outbreak has come on her, head : " - It ebmmemoed,: with one or two itafat-pimples "about the' crown of ..the hek and is ■•spreading in.-the form .ox- a iar»e"scab,' not running at all, "but raihci di-V and iiTitable. I have breu keeping h* clean and moistening with pure ot.vc oil There are no signs ot teeth yet, rxceptt"at she pute-everything into her month and bites hard, and her bibs are constantly wet. lam a healthy mother, with pkntv of milk, and baby * bowel* are regular and a good colour, and the head does not seem to upset her in any wav excrpt that she is all the Mine wanting" to scratch it. 1 shall he so glad it voii will advise me how to treat it I am wondering if it is catted through teething "For some time before his death my husband was delicate, and I am very anxious to prevent my baby from having her father's trouble —a weak chest—so 1 have rubbed her back and chest with pure olive oil every morning after her bath since she was Iwo weeks old. as a prevent iv?, as I thought; but I have been strouglv advised to discontinue it- for the leasjojj* that if. she took a sevt-re cold the nibbing with oil Mould have no effrct. 1 aigue that prevention it, better than i-urc; and will not the lubbmg with oil prevent hen- fro,m taking cold qa tin* chest? She has never had i a +. bad cold yet. I shall be glad if you will also advise me on this subject." REPLY. The precise.nature of the skin disease from which the baby i*. suffering is a matter for the doctor to deieimine. if one is in any way available. The conV monest affection of the kind described is eczema, and whatever may be the-speci-fic nature of the malady thtv general measures which will conduce to recovery aiepractically the same—viz., strict'attention t«> the essentials for healrh as'pieviously d* scribed. , ECZEMA. Breathing and living in impure air predispose to infantile eczema.-bur generally the leading factor io impaired digestion,, due to erroi* in the quantity'dr quality of the food given and ..lack of Exercise. Over-feeding w the predjc? posing eaifse. and tiequfeully, there u. constipation. Kuzeina "of,- the head is more often seen in fat, healthy-looking, over-fed habits, whether huckled.pr vpK tban it is in those who are thin, "delicate; •antfundeifed, though it is common among'"the''latter also. Teething predispose*, to eczema, but, acting alone, will not it. The .same may be said of hereditary tendency, and, for the most part: of irritants acting directly on the skin. Local irritant* spe eially liable to determine..- an attack of eczema and to prevent' the skin healing are over-clothing, too much washing or washing with hard -water; - imperfect drying of the skin, the use of strong, iiritating soaps or irritating flannel -underclothing, and excessive exposure of the face to direct 6unlight< or excessive exposure to wind—especially if the baby when indoors io kept in warm stuffy rooms. Scratching or chafing of the skin is' especially liable to retard recovery. If the baby *> suckled the mother's health is of prime importance. RUBBING THE CHEST WITH OIL.

As for habitually rubbing the bkin with oil in order to strengthen the chest, riioie harm than good will result to the breath- . ing organs. Temporary rubbing with oil may be beneficial during an actual attack of catarrh of the chcfcl; with a view to -•ounter flushing and 'counter irritation, but if this is continued"habitually the normal relationship and adjustment of the> functions and nutrition of the skin to, the condition of the underlying internal organs may be interfered with. In a certain sense the ltw we "meddle" with a child; in health the better. The mother ferk quite confident that she can "do no harm," and will strengthen the chest (meaning thereby the lungs) by habitual friction with oil. usually camphorated, because at tome time or other her doctor has ordered this treatment for some child when it had a cold in the ch-tif. She doe'snnto t iea-. line- that lie ordered the rubbing becauiie he knew that the lungs were inflamed and engorged with blood, and because he wanted to relieve the temporary congestion Indiverting some of the internal excess of blood to the overlying skin. For the time being thiii was perfectly right and rational; but when the mother uaes the aame treatment to a baby who ha*> little or nothing the matter, simply b<eau»»e she l»ars he may inherit a tendency n> weak lungs, she is acting quite irrationally. Instead oi strengthening the- mugs, the tendency would be rather in the oppuide, direction.

The practice of habitually lubbing the baby's chefet with camphorated oil tie a pr.cautionaiy measure i* a wit common oik-. A mother, writing on this subject some weeks ago, it-marked : "The dtaw back 1 tind to rubbing the »?kin with camphorated oil it; that it make.-; her skin very red aud rough looking." Parents d<> not realise that tha. continual Hushing of the okin is attained only by robbing other oigans of their duo supply of blood and mi jiment especially the immediately underlying lungs, which will consequent*lit jnore or k->«i starved ;md weakened, while the skin liecnmni thickened and i-i-nd--ted coaiser and le-* re>pot«»iv« u> uaiural change of temperature. KKSI'OXSIVK SKIX A -SAFI.t .TAitl>.

Sensitivene».i> and K-spon-ivciie*!> ot tti« ?kin in this I triplet i« no: a daiig-T, bn : '* actually Xa-iuiv'.*. safe-,; uk id for the internal organ*-the v« ry mean* l>y which »be would pieveut undue loss of ti> : «>iki! Harm b. Nothing is inort.- wasteful of }he stoied energy of the orgaiiihin, m move debilitating than the flushing oi the .skin wi-h-blood when X'aiuie herself would do her b>nt |o jut-vttu tin- rM-ap* of he.u bv cutting off the supply to the »uifa<c and keeping the warm blood in the in :«!J<»I" of the body •- cool out, i<i e ua,| warm insjdir.'' l)r Xauseti realised thU principle when, contrary to all ptccdttit. he .sought ;hc N'oi-th Pole without whi>kv. Ik knew that men liked to tVel thei",- skiiiv thi.-h-d H» 1) blood ,lf the v.-iy till:.' when N'.. '"" would husband t'hoir waumh and keep ihe internal oiu-ilis m-|J i:,>un»h«*d i he knew this that alcohol Mould d<. this for them by throwing on; of u » ltl ( J,o uni-cle* which regulate the thm ~f |,|o„d to the Mirface. _ Tiie he;iltli and vigour of tiie tiitoughttti: ih<-. expedi u«tj ,I, " I » ihilll bop" out tl/e mo>| MUlgtMie anticipation* of t|,.jr lmdrr. J>a.\«;khs of o)i)iu.i.\(i, Mother* nho .ue afiaid to allow their babie. fr<Tdi, putir ail day and nigh: |, r <<UM- I! » e.,,,1, a „,j M .|„, the.f babies ovclclad and uju.'tlcd up. ui |im» «hat they i.ili " chol pruU-etoi-.." -diouM understand niii-e foe all lh.it vverv Mich IH*-»0/»- teii.ii to l» in- .u«,u: ~,, ~~t , l„\t ut, debilitated. Kf-jfUI-JWi iO||di,loll of illlljUs. l« of the sktii ..„d blood v. n*|», The t<#.ult i- that when called up-iii : t , liuil)t»)ll piojxjr :n rrn-.l «.irinl!i u itiddflt i hang«- in tciujuraUnv •iti< . »av, !.) kicking "ti <iiw h-di Ih!!m'>, .. w.-r u..*p l:u, ..? .-Xpo>ttre to (lit- 1,. t \e«, .did iiitsv. |iio\e iii'»|ii>iM\c. !<-.. n,in it ]>■ .il ;» di*«ipa'ed. .itid .i iiov; ( ,f n j. ~.!, ... ■'l»n» on :h« .ji-ii. riii't i.ii .i in. «,,. la! •auip.ii i ;ti .JjC-Uli.; U>e >i. j,u-.**i «tid .t. \i ;j !.«-d ..'IN of ))„• :!,!..».•. 1,, ~:>:t i moiiU. ih- b.ibv i;»!» .i i liii! ' ~. ~l' .!»••* • i'l'i in tiie h-al, •he--, o; lf.vi.Jii. ..i Mitr>r\er i* ih fmii »n m.n |:n.u o fIAHDKNTXfi T»K HAHY 'J'o ttiuui :>.• ;h«- qm-*tjoii oi inunction-

ihe .long-continued ; daily rubbing, in of - oil over a considerable skin .area in:erfeies with) sweating locally, and would disturb ihat function thus predisposing to irritation of .the skin either in the rubbed'area-or at- a. distance.- There is only-one. line of • treatment worth const dering with a. view to "hardening" -he organism against-disease in general, and especially, against colds and -chest- disease —viz.. attention -to the general hygiene, especially/to keep the baby hi the open aft,, maintaining , a current, of. fresh air through the house day and night, careful bathing; and cleanliness, judicious exposure to cold, sufficient warmth, avoidance of Strang draughts or sudden and excessive changes of temperature, plenty, of txercise, strict attention to regularity of habits imeals, sleep, action of bowels, etc.). and perfect simplicity and digestibility of all food. Throughout babyhood the food should be adjusted as nearly as possible to the ascer.ained needs of :he particular period of life as regards quantity, composition, and frequency of feeding". lAll these matters are deliuitely laid down in the soeie y's pamphlet.) Nothing should be taken between rivals unless a little boiled water if the infant is thirsty, or some fruit juice according to directions.

Where the baby is suekled, of coulee the maintenance of perfect health by ;he mother is of cardinal importance. Wi-Vi-tro t. sufficient, exercise, pure air,: suitable food, regularly of habits, and good digestion her milk cannot bs y s wholesome as it should be. 'NURSING AND TREATING. Every woman-—indeed, every grown girl —should understand the simple measures needed for keeping a baby in health, for nursing it. and to give it ihc chance of tpeedy recovery from illness. On the other "hand, there i* no greater mistake than trying to ; specifically treat disease without competent -advice, which can he given only by a doctor- visiting the pa rient and determining precisely what is wrong. Without special i raining and experience no one is capable of diagnosing the exact nature of disease, and even if a mother or nurse should succeed in determining, foe instance, that a baby is", actually suffering from eczenu of the head, that fact alone "would not enable her tn decide on appropriate treatment, be-' ftuKe.lhe nafure of ihe disease and the specific means 'to be" adopted for curing k'are not decided by the mere name of the" malady,'but'mwy vary with the; particular variety -of the disease, with th» stage arrived ai'&nd the condition of the patient. Though eczema is very common, no affection is' more . variable few *km diseases a/e. liable .to'" prove more intractable ■when neglected or hiiprbpei retreated. Where parents live in remote districts beyond the reachoosf s medical aid, the wisest course is' to observe all the conditions of general hygiene, to immediately desist froin 'washing the skin wi.h ordinary soap and water, to remove all known source* of local irritation, to coax off any scabs or crusts by soaking with sweet oil, and (o pro.ect'ihe inflamed area by applying some simple' unirritating ointment., ' If the;. condition does not- aoon clear up, all" obstacles" in the way of obtaining medical advice must if possible be overcome. Where the doctor cannot see the baby, one of the parents" can usually manage to make a journey to consult him. Popular " Mother's Guides " generally contain a.few pages on eczema, will specific directions for medicinartreatment, but such advice is liable to be very misleading and to cause the mother to delay calling in skilled aid. Eczema is sometimes associated 'with specific microbic or parasitic conditions which prevent recovery, unless there is appropriate medical treatment, which cannot be arrived at by mere guessing.