A Book of Medical Discourses, in Two Parts

by Rebecca Lee Crumpler

Pneumonia, which is lung fever, frequently sets in just about the time a child is getting teeth. When there is known to be inflammation of the substances of the lungs, active treatment is called for. To the nurse, or mother, I will say that the surest signs of lung troubles are in the manner of breathing. If the nostrils flare at every attempt to take breath, or in other words, if they open and shut in quick succession, there is little doubt as to the presence of lung fever well advanced. Of course, there is great heat prostration and perceptible agony from pain, even in the infant of three or four weeks. Thousands of babes die annually from this disease, who have never looked out at a door or window; how is it? Quick breathing may be occasioned by extreme pain, but never flaring of the nostrils without some lung pressure. Active measures to reduce the blood is the proper way to treat lung fever. The flaxseed meal poultice over the entire chest, or wrapping the body up in flannel cloths wrung out of hot water, and giving to drink, plentifully, of cream of tartar and gum-arabic water,—one teaspoonful of each dissolved in a pint of boiling water and a teaspoonful every hour to a child one month old, and upwards, increasing the quantity according to age,—all tend to reduce the fever.

Very young infants are liable to perish in the acute stage, yet where the constitution is solid, in older babes there is a chance, with proper, special treatment, of raising them. Patient watchfulness, pure air, and absolute quiet, in all such trying afflictions, will more than pay for the enduring.

SORE THROAT, OR TONSILITIS.

It is with the deepest regret that I have to say that, of late, nearly every case of inflamed or sore throat is termed “diphtheria”—a name which sends a severely depressing blow to the heart of many a true, devoted mother. It is a pity that simple, curable diseases should be given such long, technical names that parents get frightened out of all common judgment, and give up all hope of successful efforts to save. I frequently hear mothers say, “I lost my boy just as I had entered him in school.” And rehearsing the causes, they are invariably these!—teething, diphtheria, “pneumonia on the lungs,” one or all; “He couldn’t live,” and explicit pains is taken to state that “the doctor said so.” I will simply state here that the throat is very likely to be affected while getting the first four grinders, or at the age of from sixteen to twenty-four months; and the true condition of the membranes of the mouth and throat cannot be guessed at. They should be examined by a skilled practitioner, that the danger may be modified in the outset. An ordinary sore throat may easily be converted into a malignant type by improper treatment; as in case of the sore throat of scarlet fever, for instance, the greatest danger arises from giving hot drinks, or applying some severe irritant to the membranes of the throat. It is well in all cases of sore throat to apply cooling treatment; this may be done by the following means: Wring a cloth out of hot water, wrap it around the throat, and cover with a dry flannel. Change every hour or two; give plentifully of warm barley-water to drink. Anoint the glands of the throat and ears once a day with goose or fish oil (no camphor), aiming to keep the parts soft, thereby scattering the inflammation. The diet should be nourishing, as of scalded milk, or, if the bowels are dry, raw milk with oatmeal pudding. The throat and mouth should be swabbed out frequently with a weak solution of bread soda; also common salt is good to excite the glands on the back of the tongue, and assist Nature to carry off the disease. By these, and various other domestic means, the sequences of scarlatina, such as dimness of vision, deafness, and glandular knots, may be avoided. Severe physic should never be given a child if costive while teething. There are other methods which, if applied, will be more lasting in effect; such as wringing a flannel cloth out of hot water, and covering the bowels; giving a pretty warm bath once a day. If injections are given, great care should be observed not to injure the soft internal folds of the lower bowel, but they should never be used if avoidable. Repeated but small doses of Epsom salts, dissolved in warm sweetened water, are invaluable.

WORMS.

Children who are allowed to eat candies, and unripe fruit of all sorts, are liable to be troubled with worms. Such children are constantly thirsty, and almost as constantly desiring to go to the water-closet. Young children that are fed on pure milk rarely have pin or stomach-worms; but the irregular slop-feeding of children gives great chance for their development. In nearly all cases where they are known to exist, a few grains of salt given in water early in the morning will drive them downward. Then three grains each of calcined magnesia and pulverized rhubarb, mixed in cold milk just moist enough to be drunk, should be given at bed-time. This continued for about one week, with solid food at regular hours, will drive them out of the system. If pin-worms appear in the back passage, the injections of salt water twice a week, and giving a teaspoonful of salt water to drink every morning, will generally give relief.

CHAPTER XIX.
GENERAL REMARKS.

We have, no doubt, learned, through the histories of the past, that war, or any civil commotion, naturally interrupts the moral and physical condition of the people in whose midst it is carried on. Not far from a quarter of a century has elapsed since the close of our civil war, and really the moral and physical condition of some of the people, the more remote from the scenes of those terrible deprivations and conflicts, are just beginning to develop the worst consequences.

It is my serious opinion that thousands of children die annually in the city of Boston, under five years of age, from diseases brought on through the excitement of expecting to go to school, the early change, the exposures from actual compulsory attendance, while the system has barely recovered from a lengthy prostration, and now needing fostering at home with regular meals and plenty of toys for amusement.

Many are the little children of three and a half, four and a half, and five years, that are still getting teeth, sent out in the streets to saunter along in the chill air of our hill-streets to some school-house. Heaven bless our schools, for they are invaluable; but may God change the minds of the people as to such early exposures, being best for the credit of our Commonwealth. In school at four and a half, and in the grave at five; or in school at five, and in some State Reform School at seven or eight! just when the mind is beginning to be formed. It is well known that diphtheria, pneumonia, and various contagious diseases are more prevalent where there has been some exciting cause. For instance, during the warm days at the breaking up of winter, when the snow is melting and the atmosphere is filled with vapors, one can see children of all ages wading about in running water, dragging sleds, moving snow; some heavily-clad feet well protected, while others are not supplied even with wraps, but with rubber boots, it may be, minus the toes. In a few days many deaths of this very class of children are reported in some locality or other. Children will sit or stand around in places injurious to the health, and will go into dangers where they seem really to be admired by some adults. In the hurry and excitement to go in the street, so much is lost of a chance to build a solid foundation either of health or character. I know it is hard to restrain little ones after they have tasted of so much freedom as is given them during the weakest period of childhood, the teething period. This is why I feel so anxious to do or say something that will assist parents to lighten their burdens in this matter. In the first place, let me advise, with all due feelings of respect, the entire abandonment of low, dark, bad-smelling, water-soaked basement kitchens to work in, and the adoption of a rule to live more on top of the ground, and less under the ground. The depression upon the system of any one who has been permitted to exercise in open daylight, is equal to that of being incarcerated. Some persons say they send children to school to get them out of the way; a child soon begins to know this, and gradually goes out of the way, until some aching tooth or biting pain sends him crying to his friend.