Soda Bath. Two tablespoonfuls of baking soda to one gallon of water.
Bran Bath. A cheesecloth bag about six inches square, partly filled with bran, is soaked and squeezed in the bath until the water is milky.
Starch Bath. About a cupful of cooked laundry starch to one gallon of water.
The baby should be placed in the tub as for his daily bath and his entire body submerged, as shown in Fig. [60], care being taken that his ears are above the surface of the water.
No soap should be used while the baby has prickly heat and after the bath he should be patted thoroughly dry and powdered with some such soothing powder as the following:
| Powdered starch | one ounce |
| Oxid of zinc | one ounce |
| Boracic acid powder | 60 grains |
Fig. 60.—Method of holding the baby in the tub to keep all but his head covered, in giving a bran, starch, soda or mustard bath.
Diarrhea. If your baby has an increase in the number of his movements, or if they become watery in character, something is wrong. It may be only a mild disturbance or it may be the beginning of an attack of summer diarrhea, and as at first you cannot possibly tell which it is, you must not take it lightly. Notify your doctor at once, but if you are remotely situated or he is delayed in communicating with you, there are certain helpful things that you can do for the baby while waiting for the doctor. The first is to give an enema of half a pint of water, at 110° F., containing ½ teaspoonful of salt. (See Fig. [64], page [217], for method of giving enema.) If the baby seems to have only a slight diarrhea it may be enough to reduce his food one half, whether he is breast-fed or bottle-fed, and to give him an abundance of cool boiled water to drink. If he is bottle-fed it is a wise precaution to make up his formula with skimmed milk and leave out the sugar.
