Advice to a Mother on the Management of Her Children

by Pye Henry Chavasse

The most common exciting causes of consumption are slighted colds, neglected inflammation of the chest, long continuance of influenza, sleeping in damp beds, allowing wet clothes to dry on the body, unhealthy employments—such as needle-grinding, pearl button making etc.

371. Supposing a youth to have spitting of blood, what precautions would you take to prevent it from ending in consumption?

Let his health be the first consideration; throw books to the winds; if he be at school, take him away; if he be in trade, cancel his indentures; if he be in the town, send him to a sheltered healthy spot in the country, or to the south coast; as, for instance, either to St Leonards-on-Sea, to Torquay, or to the Isle of Wight.

I should be particular in his clothing, taking especial care to keep his chest and feet warm. If he did not already wear flannel waistcoats, let it be winter or summer, I should recommend him immediately to do so: if it be winter, I should advise him also to take to flannel drawers. The feet must be carefully attended to; they ought to be kept both warm and dry, the slightest dampness of either shoes or stockings should cause them to be immediately changed. If a boy, he ought to wear double-breasted waistcoats; if a girl, high dresses.

The diet must be nutritious and generous; he should be encouraged to eat plentifully of beef and mutton. There is nothing better for breakfast, where it agree, than milk; indeed, it may be frequently made to agree by previously boiling it. Good home-brewed ale or sound porter ought, in moderation, to be taken. Wine and spirits must on no account be allowed. I caution parents in this particular, as many have an idea that wine, in such cases, is strengthening, and that rum and milk is a good thing either to cure or to prevent a cough!

If it be summer, let him be much in the open air, avoiding the evening and the night air. If it be winter, he should, unless the weather be mild for the season, keep within doors. Particular attention ought to be paid to the point the wind is in, as he should not be allowed to go out if it is either in the north, in the east, or in the north-east; the latter is more especially dangerous. If it be spring, and the weather be favourable, or summer or autumn, change of air, more especially to the south-coast—to the Isle of Wight, for instance— would be desirable; indeed, in a case of spitting of blood, I know of no remedy so likely to ward off that formidable, and, generally, intractable complaint—consumption—as change of air. The beginning of the autumn is, of course, the beat season for visiting the coast. It would be advisable, at the commencement of October, to send him either to Italy, to the south of France—to Mentone [Footnote: See Winter and Spring on the Shores of the Mediterranean, By J. Henry Bennet, M.D., London: Churchill.]—or to the mild parts of England—more especially either to Hastings, or to Torquay, or to the Isle of Wight—to winter. But remember, if he be actually in a confirmed consumption, I would not on any account whatever let him leave his home; as then the comforts of home will far, very far, out-weigh any benefit of change of air.

372. Suppose a youth to be much predisposed to a sore throat, what precautions ought he to take to ward off future attacks?

He must use every morning thorough ablution of the body, beginning cautiously; that is to say, commencing with the neck one morning, then by degrees, morning after morning, sponging a larger surface, until the whole of the body be sponged. The chill at first must be taken off the water; gradually the temperature ought to be lowered until the water be quite cold, taking care to rub the body thoroughly dry with a coarse towel—a Turkish rubber being the best for the purpose.

He ought to bathe his throat externally every night and morning with luke-warm salt and water, the temperature of which must be gradually reduced until at length no warm water be added. He should gargle his throat either with barm, vinegar, and sage tea, [Footnote: A wine-glassful of barm, a wine-glassful of vinegar, and the remainder sage tea, to make a half-pint bottle of gargle.] or with salt and water—two tea-spoonfuls of table salt dissolved in a tumbler of water. He ought to harden himself by taking plenty of exercise in the open air. He must, as much as possible, avoid either sitting or standing in a draught, if he be in one, he should face it. He ought to keep his feet warm and dry. He should take as little aperient medicine as possible, avoiding especially both calomel and blue pill. As he grows up to manhood he ought to allow his beard to grow, as such would be a natural covering for his throat. I have known great benefit to arise from this simple plan. The fashion is now to wear the beard, not to use the razor at all, and a sensible fashion I consider it to be. The finest respirator in the world is the beard. The beard is not only good for sore throats, but for weak chests. The wearing of the beard is a splendid innovation, it saves no end of trouble, is very beneficial to health, and is a great improvement "to the human face divine."

373. Have you any remarks to make on the almost universal habit of boys and of very young men smoking?