BRONCHITIS

A very common disorder of early infancy and childhood is bronchitis—an inflammation of the bronchial tubes—accompanied by severe coughing. Its tendency to pass into pneumonia renders it a disease for skilled hands to treat—a disorder hardly safe for even the well-meaning mother to undertake to manage without medical advice and help. And since bronchitis is usually accompanied by alarming symptoms of high fever, weakened heart, embarrassed breathing, mottled or blue skin, green stools, troublesome cough, disturbed sleep, "stopped up nose," and "choked up throat," it is of utmost importance not only to seek medical aid early, but also that the mother, herself, should have definite ideas concerning the proper manner of doing the following things in the line of treatment:

  1. Making and applying a mustard paste.
  2. The fashioning of an oil-silk jacket.
  3. Improvising a steam tent.
  4. Flushing out the colon, and a score of other things which the watchful doctor may want given any moment.

Mustard Pastes are prepared by mixing one part of mustard and six parts of flour in warm water and applying to the chest between two pieces of thin muslin. It is left on just seven minutes and then talcum powder is thickly sprinkled on the moist, reddened skin; this powder quickly absorbs all the moisture and leaves the skin in a good condition—ready for another paste in three hours if it is so ordered.

The Oil-Silk Jacket, or pneumonia jacket, consists of three layers—the inside of cheesecloth, an inner thin sheet of cotton wadding, and an outside layer of oil silk (procurable at any drug store). It should open on the shoulder and under the arm on the same side. It is worn constantly (change for fresh cheesecloth and cotton every day) during the inflammatory stage; it is removed only during the mustard pastes.

A Steam Tent may be prepared by placing a sheet over the infant's crib and allowing steam to enter from a large paper funnel placed in the nose of a tea kettle of boiling water kept hot on a small stove of some sort.

The mattress and bedding are covered with rubber sheeting and the infant's clothes protected from moisture. The baby should remain in this steamy atmosphere ten minutes at a time.

Another method is to hold baby in arms near the large end of a big funnel placed in a tea kettle on the gas stove or range, and then have an assistant help hold a sheet tent over both the mother and babe. Or the baby carriage may be placed over a small tub of water into which are dropped several hot bricks. A sheet canopy spread over the carriage holds the steam in and baby reaps the benefits of the warm moisture.

Colonic Flushing is necessary when green stools accompany bronchitis. A well-lubricated end of a large Davidson's syringe is inserted into the rectum, and with the hips of the baby brought to the edge of a basin (the heels held in the hands of the assistant), water is forced into the rectum. Not more than one ordinary cup of water should be introduced at any one time. After expulsion, another may be gently injected.

The diet in bronchitis is always reduced so that no extra work will be thrown on the already overtaxed constitution of the child.

Absolute rest is necessary and perfect quiet should prevail. The humidity of the room should not be lower than 50 at any time, while the air should be moderately cool and fresh.

Numerous other details which may be necessary in the management of bronchitis will be directed by the physicians and nurses in charge of the case.