Advice to a Mother on the Management of Her Children

by Pye Henry Chavasse

203. What treatment, then, during a paroxysm of Child-crowing should you advise?

The first thing, of course, to be done, is to send immediately for a medical man. Have a plentiful supply of cold and of hot water always at hand, ready at a moment's notice for use. The instant the paroxysm is upon the child, plentifully and perseveringly dash cold water upon his head and face. Put his foot and legs in hot salt, mustard, and water; and, if necessary, place him up to his neck in a hot bath, still dashing water upon his face and head. If he does not quickly come round, sharply smack his back and buttocks.

In every severe paroxysm of child-crowing, put your fore-finger down the throat of the child, and pull his tongue forward. This plan of pulling the tongue forward opens the epiglottis (the lid of the glottis), and thus admits air (which is so sorely needed) into the glottis and into the lungs, and thus staves off impending suffocation. If this plan were generally known and adopted, many precious lives might be saved. [Footnote: An intelligent correspondent first drew my attention to the efficacy of pulling forward the tongue in every severe paroxysm of child-crowing.]

There is nothing more frightfully agonising to a mother's feelings than to see her child strangled,—as it were,—before her eyes, by a paroxysm of child crowing.

As soon as a medical man arrives, he will lose no time in thoroughly lancing the gums, and in applying other appropriate remedies.

Great care and attention ought, during the intervals, to be paid to his diet. If the child be breathing a smoky, close atmosphere, he should be immediately removed to a pure one. In this disease, indeed, there is no remedy equal to a change of air—to a dry, bracing neighbourhood. Change of air, even if it be winter, is the best remedy, either to the coast or to a healthy mountainous district. I am indebted to Mr Roberton of Manchester (who has paid great attention to this disease, and who has written a valuable essay on the subject [Footnote: See the end of the volume of "Physiology and Diseases of Women," &c. Churchill, 1851.]) for the knowledge of this fact. Where, in a case of this kind, it is not practicable to send a child from home, then let him be sent out of doors the greater part of every day; let him, in point of fact, almost live in the open air. I am quite sure, from an extensive experience, that in this disease, fresh air, and plenty of it, is the best and principal remedy. Cold sponging of the body too is useful.

Mr Roberton, who, at my request, has kindly given me the benefit of his extensive experience in child-crowing, considers that there is no remedy, in this complaint, equal to fresh air—to dry cold winds—that the little patient ought, in fact, nearly to live, during the day, out of doors, whether the wind be in the east or in the north-east, whether it be biting cold or otherwise, provided it be dry and bracing, for "if the air be dry, the colder the better,"—taking care, of course, that he be well wrapped up. Mr Roberton, moreover, advises that the child should be sent away at once from home, either to a bracing sea-side place, such as Blackpool or Fleetwood; or to a mountainous district, such as Buxton.

As the subject is so important, let me recapitulate: the gums ought, from time to time, to be well lanced, in order to remove the irritation of painful dentition—painful dentition being the real cause of the disease. Cold sponging should be used twice or thrice daily. The diet should be carefully attended to (see Dietary of Child); and everything conducive to health should (as recommended in these Conversations) be observed. But, remember, after all that can be said about the treatment, there is nothing like change of air, of fresh air, of cold, dry pure air, and of plenty of it—the more the little fellow can inhale, during the day, the better it will be for him, it will be far better than any drug contained in the pharmacopoeia.

I have dwelt on this subject at some length—it being a most important one—as, if the above advice were more generally known and followed, nearly every child, labouring under this complaint, would be saved; while now, as coroners' inquests abundantly testify, the disease carries off yearly an immense number of victims.

204. When is a mother to know that a cough is not a "tooth cough" but one of the symptoms of Inflammation of the lungs?