On the wasting diseases of infants and children / by Eustace Smith, M.D.

  • Smith, Eustace, 1835-1914.
Date:
1899
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the wasting diseases of infants and children / by Eustace Smith, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by University of Bristol Library. The original may be consulted at University of Bristol Library.

    38/440 (page 12)
    the action of the skin, anointing with oil is of great service in all the diseases which are here treated of, and in cases where the weakness and emaciation are extreme, striking results sometimes follow the application, if it be repeated with sufficient perseverance. A warm bath, or a thorough sponging of the whole body with very warm water, im- mediately before the oil is applied, is useful in preparing the skin for the action of the oil, and adds greatly to its efficiency. In the application of counter-irritants to young children great care must be taken not to carry the counter-irritation too far. An irritant which, in a healthy child, would produce only a moderate degree of redness, will often, where the strength is much reduced, set up very great in- flammation, or even produce sloughing of the tissues. Such a result would not only still further reduce the child's little remaining strength, but would act as a direct irritant to the part for which it is intended to be a deriva- tive. For this reason counter-irritation should, as a rule, be general rather than local, being employed in the form of stimulating liniments and hot baths. Sometimes, however, a local counter-irritant is required. In these cases equal parts of flour of mustard and linseed meal should be used. Blisters are inadmissible for infants. For the hot bath, the water should be of the temperature of from 95° to 100° Fahr., and should be sufficient in quantity to cover the child up to the neck. After re- maining in the water for three, four, or five minutes, he should be quickly but thoroughly dried, and be then wrapped in flannel and returned to his cot. It is of great importance that he should not be left too long in the hot water. The effect of the hot bath is at first stimulating, but after stimulation comes reaction, and depression is induced. He must be, therefore, removed before the stimulating effect has had time to pass off. Children, especially when unwell, often show great repugnance to