The advice of Sir Charles Locock—to give no aperient to a new-born infant—is most valuable, and ought to be strictly followed. By adopting his recommendation, much after misery might be averted. If a new born babe's bowels be costive, rather than give him an aperient, try the effect of a little moist sugar, dissolved in a little water, that is to say, dissolve half a tea-spoonful of pure unadulterated raw sugar in a tea-spoonful of warm water and administer it to him, if in four hours it should not operate, repeat the dose. Butter and raw sugar is a popular remedy, and is sometimes used by a nurse to open the bowels of a new born babe, and where there is costiveness, answers the purpose exceedingly well, and is far superior to castor oil. Try by all means to do, if possible, without a particle of opening medicine. If you once begin to give aperients, you will have frequently to repeat them. Opening physic leads to opening physic, until at length his stomach and bowels will become a physic shop! Let me, then, emphatically say, avoid, if possible, giving a new born babe a drop or a gram of opening medicine. If from the first you refrain from giving an aperient, he seldom requires one afterwards. It is the first step, in this as in all other things, that is so important to take.
If a new-born babe have not for twelve hours made water, the medical man ought to be informed of it, in order that he may inquire into the matter, and apply the proper remedies. Be particular in attending to these directions, or evil consequences will inevitably ensue.
91. Some persons say, that new-born female infants have milk in their bosoms, and that it is necessary to squeeze them, and apply plasters to disperse the milk.
The idea of there being real milk in a baby's breast is doubtful, the squeezing of the bosom is barbarous, and the application of plasters is useless. "Without actually saying," says Sir Charles Locock, "there is milk secreted in the breasts of infants, there is undoubtedly not rarely considerable swelling of the breasts both in female and male infants, and on squeezing them a serous fluid oozes out. I agree with you that the nurses should never be allowed to squeeze them, but be ordered to leave them alone." [Footnote: Letter to the Author.]
92. Have the goodness to mention the SLIGHT ailments which are not of sufficient importance to demand the assistance of a medical man?
I deem it well to make the distinction between serious and slight ailments, I am addressing a mother. With regard to serious ailments, I do not think myself justified, except in certain urgent cases, in instructing a parent to deal with them. It might be well to make a mother acquainted with the symptoms, but not with the treatment, in order that she might lose no time in calling in medical aid. This I hope to have the pleasure of doing in future Conversations.
Serious diseases, with a few exceptions, and which I will indicate in subsequent Conversations, ought never to be treated by a parent, not even in the early stages, for it is in the early stages that the most good can generally be done. It is utterly impossible for any one who is not trained to the medical profession to understand a serious disease in all its bearings, and thereby to treat it satisfactorily.
There are some exceptions to these remarks. It will be seen in future Conversations that Sir CHARLES LOCOCK considers that a mother ought to be made acquainted with the treatment of some of the more serious diseases, where delay in obtaining immediate medical assistance might be death. I bow to his superior judgment, and have supplied the deficiency in subsequent Conversations.
The ailments and the diseases of infants, such as may, in the absence of the doctor, be treated by a parent, are the following:—Chafings, Convulsions, Costivenesa, Flatulence, Gripings, Hiccup, Looseness of the Bowels (Diarrhoea), Dysentery, Nettle-rash, Red-gum, Stuffing of the Nose, Sickness, Thrush. In all these complaints I will tell you—What to do, and—What NOT to do.
93. What are the causes and the treatment of Chafing?