Teething.—Teething is a subject which has at all times interested both doctor and layman, and in its supposed relation to all kinds of disorders of infancy has undoubtedly exercised an influence over the popular imagination out of all proportion to its real importance. Too often it has happened that this perfectly normal, and usually by no means serious, process, has been held responsible for grave diseases in children—diseases which in reality were the consequence of neglect and mismanagement in the far more serious matters of food, sleep, out-of-door exercises, and general hygiene. It cannot, however, be denied—particularly in respect to nervous children—that teething appears occasionally to induce unpleasant disturbances, such as fretfulness, broken sleep, digestive disorders, and occasionally fever; as a rule such symptoms persist only for a few days, if the infant be properly looked after. The treatment should consist in lancing the gums should they become much swollen, and the withholding of the usual amount of food, particularly where intestinal disturbances occur. The ages at which the teeth usually come are as follows:
| 2 | Middle Lower Teeth | 5 to 9 months. |
| 4 | Upper Front Teeth | 8 to 12 months. |
| Remaining Lower Front Teeth | 12 to 18 months. | |
| 4 | Front Jaw Teeth | 12 to 18 months. |
| Stomach Teeth (Canine) | 18 to 24 months. | |
| Eye Teeth (Canine) | 18 to 24 months. | |
| 4 | Back Jaw Teeth | 24 to 30 months. |
Bowel Diseases.—Digestive disturbances, accompanied by diarrhœa, are the bane of infancy, and are responsible for a very large part of the frightful mortality among babies. The subject, therefore, is one of tremendous importance, but is so complicated that the limits of this little volume will only permit its being touched upon.
As already mentioned, indigestion accompanied by looseness of the bowels may be and often is the result of milk being used from diseased cows, or it may be the consequence of such carelessness in handling it that disease-producing bacteria are later allowed to contaminate it. It should also never be forgotten that where children are eating artificially prepared food improper mixing of the different components may result in serious disturbances, and we should, therefore, exercise the utmost care always in seeing to it that the food is prepared strictly according to the table which has already been given—not forgetting that in a certain number of instances we can go by no rule, and will have to experiment until we ascertain the proper proportion of the ingredients.
After a diarrhœa begins we should at once reduce the quantity of fat in the milk that is being given to the infant, and if the trouble be at all severe it is best to take it off of all food for twenty-four hours, and substitute boiled water or barley-water. As soon as the trouble is checked we may then begin to feed cautiously with largely diluted milk, and, gradually increasing its strength, in the course of a few days return to the food that was being given before the disturbance occurred. A dose of calomel or castor oil in the beginning of diarrhœal troubles often has a very salutary effect; the parent should not hesitate to administer this if a doctor is not at hand.
In warm climates during the time of teething children very commonly develop chronic diarrhœal conditions which often end fatally; wherever possible the parent should under such circumstances at once remove the little sufferer to a colder climate where recovery is generally rapid and complete. Even the most careful nursing under the most competent physician is often fruitless in combating disorders of this character as long as the infant remains in a warm climate.
Colic.—Colic is always due to indigestion, and is the result of the food undergoing fermentative changes, with the production of gases. This goes on even under normal conditions to a certain extent, but when it is excessive the intestines become greatly distended, and pain of a severe or even agonizing character is produced.
In the treatment of this condition warm applications should be made to the abdomen, and as quickly as possible an enema (injection), consisting of a few ounces of warm solution of salt water should be given; the salt should be in the proportion of a level teaspoonful to the quart of water. Parents will find the little ear syringe, which may be purchased at any drug store, a most satisfactory instrument for giving enemas to infants, as they do not hold too much, and being soft, are incapable of tearing the delicate tissues of the child. It is of the utmost importance to remember that the salt solution should be tepid, yet not sufficiently hot to scald the infant. As the water when given in this way is expelled very quickly the enemas may be repeated any number of times desired.
Where these measures fail, a physician should be sent for at once, but in the meantime if it be evident that the infant is suffering very much, a small dose of paregoric may be given; it should not however be forgotten that opiates are exceedingly hurtful to nervous children, and that soothing syrups and other mixtures containing drugs of this class should be avoided.
Constipation.—Constipation among very young children generally passes off as the food becomes richer, but should it occur at a later time, the trouble may be more difficult to remedy. Of first importance is having the bowels of the infant move at a certain time each day, which may be quickly accomplished in many little children by placing them upon a small chamber daily at a given hour; usually the baby very quickly learns what this procedure means, and in this way a regular habit is established which is of the utmost value to the child throughout its infancy, and every effort, therefore, should be made to bring it about as quickly as possible.