Some babies are ruddy and strong with an oatmeal diet (oatmeal porridge strained and mixed with the milk). I have already mentioned this as especially successful in Ireland and Scotland. However, in the warm climate of many of our cities in summer I have known the oatmeal diet to cause eruptions or boils. It is almost a crime to undertake to bring up children artificially in warm summer climates. Many a heart-ache is caused when, failing to supply the natural food, nothing would seem to agree with the baby.
Pap.
Put a little butter into a saucepan for the purpose of keeping the mixture from sticking. When it is hot, pour in a thin batter of milk and flour, a little salted; stir well, and boil gently about five minutes; then add a little sugar. If the child is over three months old, an egg may be mixed in the batter for a change.
Wheat-flour and Corn-meal Gruel.
Tie wheat flour and corn meal (three-quarters wheat flour and one-quarter corn meal) into a thick cotton cloth, and boil it three or four hours. Dry the lump, and grate it as you use it. Put on the fire cream and water (one part cream to six parts water), and when it comes to a boil, stir in some of the grated lump, rubbed to a smooth paste with a little water. Salt it slightly. Judgment must be used as to the amount of thickening. For a young infant, the preparation should be thin enough to be taken in the bottle; if the child is older, it may be thicker. If the child is troubled with constipation, the proportion of corn meal should be larger; if with summer complaint, it may be left out altogether.
Roasted Rice
boiled and mashed is a good infant diet in case of summer complaint.
Corn-meal Gruel
is undoubtedly the best relaxing diet for infants, and may be used instead of medicine.
FOOD FOR INFANTS WITH WEAK DIGESTIVE ORGANS.