OUR BABIES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2211, 25 July 1914, Page 13

OUR BABIES.

TBT HT6811.1

Published under the < auspices of tho Society for the Health of Women end Children. "It ie wiser to put up e, fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom," COMMON COLDS. > At tho conclusion of last week's nrticle I was dealing with Dr. Pressor White's book, "Catarrhal Fevers, Commonly Called Colds," and I do not think 1 can do better, than give this account of the leading features of the onset of the malady. Of course, most of us have had personal experience of col-is 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 find in the rarer disease* which, we 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 rolds • and their • consequences than die of scarlet fever, liioasles, 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 tendsto render him, safe as regards all other fevers''.and illnesses. The following is Dr.- Prosser White's account of a common cold, or, as ho prefers to call it, m attack of Catharrhtl Fever:— >■■ ' SYMPTOMS. The cla-ssical signs found in the household, common, infective, or -influenzal colds, or, as I prefer to call it, "catarrhal fever," are associated ■ with «. distinct,.train of subjective symptoms. • An irritation, itching, and smarting in the back of the nose, or back of the throat. This itching and dryness is of a very troublesome nature, and primarily may affect any part of the upper respiratory tra.ct. To relieve this discomfort frequent attempts at swallowing are performed, the saliva is forced by the tongue against the 6oft palate, and the friction arid 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, fain, varying in intensity, follows on swallowing, or on pressing under the tingles of the 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 arid abundant, and excoriates the "parts, ■ rendering the mucous membrane of the nose and the skin of the upper lip tender and painful to touch, is the catarrh of the nose .and throat spreads to the contiguous parts, congestion and- swelling results, causing deafness, usually.in one, sometimes in both ears, due to ..swelling and blocking in 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 sense of smell is perverted or impaired. Then follows 1 a constant desire to hawk up the increasing secretions from the back of the throat, and the mucous membranes of the bronchial tubes. Tho usual relish for food is absent or capricious, depending upon ,the • severity of tho attack. Tho skin is dry and hot, later on moist. Malaise, listlessness, ,and great nervous prostration are invariably concomitants in severe'cases, and even in slight cases; in ■ susceptible individuals, are some of the most prominent and difficult afterejfecW to combat: Aches, pains, and nausea ;are usually transoiont, experiences, arid depend upon the severity and extent of the; affection, and probably the idiosyncrasies' and constitution of the individual. Idiosyncrasy here re-, presents immunity, or predisposition, acquired or heredity. As the catarrh passes on to the bronchi, cough and expectoration become more pronounced. In s the early stages secretion is stick!? and- small in quantity; later on, ,or in the subjects of previous attacks, it becomes profuse, purulent, or watery. In complicated cases of catarrhal fever the bronchial affection is but slight, the aose and throat irritation causing the greater, trouble. The stomach can be affected in a similar manner. In somo 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 ' ruiinirfg 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 rapidly'passes on to the bronchial tubes; 'occasionally subacute attacks of indiges-, tiori, probably from the direct passage of the germ to the lining membrane of the stomach, cause inability to tako, certain foods without pain or discomfort. Particularly, is thiß the case in subjects liable to acute or chronic inflammation of the stomach; /_ in 'them it niay light up anil ' maintain .an inflammatory condition for some time, and to my mind, explains this frequent enigniai'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 iinable to attribute it to any in-discretion-in diet. Under these circum'.stances 1 invariably ask,whether^,there have been any catarrhal colds m the house, and if she has been affected,, however slightly. Diarrhoea, as a direct oonsequence of this condition, may,' of course, bo 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 be so slight in mild cases, and iu healthy individuals, as hardly to; bo noticed. It. is from this ' feeling of genera] and local coldness the disease gets its name. Shivering is usually the first indication of ill-health, 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 cause 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 6erious ■ thing for tho baby. Yet children often have' half a 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, their beds'properly, and pay.duo 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 arc now satisfied that; along with , such causes as careless bottlefeeding, the use of the dummy and papfeeding, (all leading to defective growth of tongue, mouth, jaws, teeth, and nose)', repeated colds aro tho main cause of adenoids.