Symptoms
Children suffering with intestinal indigestion usually present symptoms of malnutrition. They are anemic, the extremities being usually very small. The most striking feature of such a case will be the extremely large abdomen. The colon is usually dilated as are also the small intestines. There is marked tympanites, which usually increases during the daytime but diminishes during the night. This is one of the principal symptoms which differentiate intestinal indigestion from tubercular peritonitis. Such children are easily fatigued, have a very sallow complexion with dark rings under the eyes. They are usually very much below the average weight and are very cross and irritable. They do not sleep well, often grinding their teeth and crying out in their sleep. There is usually alternating constipation and diarrhea, the odor of the stools being very offensive. In extreme cases there may be convulsions and other cerebral symptoms. There is seldom any fever.
Major Adjustment
The local major subluxation will be found in the lumbar region with the combination at kidney place. Kidney place is used only when there has been an accumulation of products of indigestion which makes it necessary to increase elimination to take care of these products. In many of these cases the liver is involved and therefore will call for liver place in combination with kidney place and the local lumbar. These cases will respond very readily to chiropractic adjustments.
COLIC
Colic is a common incoördination of infancy and is very prevalent during the first three months. Colic is a symptom rather than a dis-ease and usually indicates intestinal indigestion or some inflammatory condition of the intestines. It is characterized by sharp paroxysmal pains in the intestines. A child who is subject to colic will usually be suffering also from constipation. The crying of a colicky child is characteristic, being very violent and paroxysmal, which presently subsides only to be followed with another attack. During these spells the lower extremities will be drawn up and the abdomen will be tense from the accumulation of gas. In mild cases the child will not cry out but will be fretful. This may be wrongly construed to be the result of hunger. When the attacks of colic come on the child will show a desire to nurse and will take the breast as though very hungry. This may be followed by relief from the pain, but this relief is only temporary and when the pain returns it is usually more severe. There is probably no incoördination of childhood that is quite so trying to a chiropractor as an acute attack of colic, due to the violent crying of the child and the eager desire on the part of the chiropractor and the attendants to relieve the pain. It is often quite hard to obtain a correct analysis in such cases because of the difficulty experienced in getting the child into a proper position for palpation. In making the palpation the chiropractor should take plenty of time and should never endeavor to force the child to be still, rather he should adapt himself to the constant moving about of the infant.
Major Adjustment
The major varies somewhat in these cases so far as a specific vertebra is concerned, but the local will always be found in the lumbar region, usually the first or second lumbar vertebra. Kidney place should be used as a combination.
VOMITING
During nursing the infant swallows quite a little air and not infrequently this is the cause of vomiting immediately following feeding. It is not uncommon for an infant to vomit without effort after overfilling the stomach. This is a natural thing among healthy children and needs no attention from a corrective standpoint. In such cases the milk is but little changed.