Treating the Sick Child in Time by Kate Lindsay; J. J. Bell

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 14, 1912

Treating the Sick Child in Time

By Kate Lindsay; J. J. Bell

KATE LINDSAY, M. D.

EVERY year hundreds and thousands of persons, especially children, lose their lives because the disease was not treated in time. A child is ailing, seems feverish at night, chilly in the morning, is peevish and irritable, and has a capricious appetite. In the words of the mother, “Johnny is not like himself.” And truly he is not like his ordinary, healthy, happy self. Some poison is working mischief somewhere in the little body, deranging and upsetting the nervous system, and making him feel generally uncomfortable and out of sorts.

Taking a Child’s Temperature

Whether the indisposition is serious or not is what mothers, nurses, and all having the care of children should seek to discern at once. A clinical thermometer, or a thermometer for testing the temperature of the body, should be a part of every household outfit; and whenever a child is ailing, its temperature should be taken, and its pulse and respirations counted. The temperature of a child in health is slightly above that of the adult, it being 98.5° to 99.5°, while that of the average adult is from 98° to 98.5°. The temperature should be taken three times a day; when it reaches 101° or above for two days, it is an indication of something serious.

Respiration and Pulse

The respirations of a new-born baby are forty a minute, and usually decline to thirty or thirty-five by the end of the first month, continuing to decline until the child is four or five years old, when they are twenty to twenty-five a minute. They still further decline to sixteen or eighteen at fourteen or fifteen years, which is the ordinary adult rate of respiration. The pulse at birth is usually one hundred twenty to one hundred forty, at one year one hundred ten to one hundred twenty, and gradually declines until fifteen, when it is about eighty or eighty-five. In adult life the normal rate is seventy or seventy-five. The pulse and the respirations are difficult to count and very variable. In small children any exercise or other excitement may cause a rise of from ten to fifteen or twenty beats a minute, and the rate of breathing is increased in proportion. So a baby’s pulse and respirations are of value only when they are observed while it is sleeping; the temperature, not being specially affected by outside influences, is the most reliable indication.

Examining the Throat

After testing the temperature, pulse, and respiration, the next most important measure is to examine the throat for redness, swelling, or white patches, which may indicate either tonsillitis or diphtheria. Hundreds of children have contracted the last-named disease and died because of a neglect of these measures. Perhaps a child with an apparently slight sore throat was permitted to go to some child’s party, or some one in the family where the party was held had a sore throat. I know of a case where about twenty-five children were exposed to tonsillitis by being allowed to take a ride with a child suffering with it. As the child’s temperature had not been taken, no symptoms of the disease had been discovered, and no danger was apprehended. Hence, not only were the other children exposed, but the little one itself was made much worse.

Condition of the Stomach

After the examination of the throat and nose, the next inquiry should be as to the condition of the stomach. Many patients, especially children and young persons, owe all their trouble to a disordered condition of the stomach, due to a surfeit. The fever, headache, and boneache may all disappear with the emptying of the stomach and bowels. Often such cases have an alarmingly high temperature for a short time, but the symptoms soon become less marked, and disappear when once the decaying food has been unloaded from the system.

The Bowels

Constipation and accumulation of fecal matter in the bowels often cause a rise of temperature; hence mothers and others caring for children should know whether the bowels are regular. The writer has seen cases in youth and children which were diagnosed as tumor. In one case, when inquiry was made of the mother as to how long it had been since the bowels moved regularly, she could not tell, and by inquiry of the twelve-year-old girl herself it was ascertained that at least a week had passed without any action, the child meanwhile when eating heartily of all foods found at a farmer’s table. It was not until she was taken suddenly ill with chill and fever, that the case was looked into, and a course of mild cathartics, enemas, fasting, and fomentations prescribed, which finally dispersed the swelling, but the moving off of the impacted mass was the work of many days; and after it was over, the child was so weak and emaciated that it took weeks to recover her usual health.

Infectious Diseases

The next inquiry should be as to the possibility of infectious diseases, as typhoid fever, or any of the eruptive fevers. Children are often victims of typhoid fever, and this should be borne in mind, especially if the disease is in the neighborhood, or if there has been any danger of an infected water-supply in traveling or otherwise. In small towns and villages without water-works, there are likely to be numerous cesspools, and also many wells, shallow or deep; and it is only a matter of time, modified by the porous nature of the soil and the depth and location of the well, when the contents of the cesspool will drain into the well; or, worse still, the contents of the privy vault may contaminate the water, and whole families be thus poisoned with filth. There are always children who are running around the neighborhood, visiting other children, so that a case of typhoid fever may occur in a home possessing a faultless water-supply.

Weak Digestive Organs

WEAK digestion is perhaps more prevalent than any other abnormal condition to which the human body is subject. From the infant to the hoary-headed may be found those thus afflicted.

What the Dyspeptic Can Do for Himself

Yet there is possibly no condition of ill health for which more can be done by each individual himself, if he knows how to select his bill of fare, eating well-cooked, easily digested foods in moderate quantities, at proper times, and exercising due care in regard to thorough mastication. In addition, we should mention as of great importance exercise in the open air.

Knowledge of Foods Necessary

In order to be able to select the right kind of food, it is necessary that we should understand something about the chemical elements that the food contains. We must also know something about the right preparation of food. In other words, everybody ought to be a cook, at least as far as knowing how to prepare simple foods in a simple, easily-digestible, palatable manner.

Overloading the Stomach

The quantity of food eaten is just as important as the quality. Often individuals suffer greatly from digestive disturbance simply from overloading their stomachs. One who is accustomed to overeating is never satisfied in the true sense. There is always a craving for more food. He does not get sufficient nourishment from his food, due to the fact that much of it is wasted by fermentation; and although he may consume large quantities, he always remains thin and emaciated.

Perseverance Required

As a rule, persons suffering with indigestion feel weaker and less fit for their regular work as soon as they make a change for the better in their diet. This may be due to the fact that with the fermentation there are always poisons produced which act as stimulants to some extent to the individual. When this process ceases for a time, energy and tone seem to depart. However, with perseverance along right lines a permanent improvement soon takes place.

Too Frequent Eating

Many dyspeptics make the mistake of eating too frequently. When the digestive organs are weak, rest is a wonderful help to a cure. A safe rule for nearly all is never to eat more than three times daily; and for many with weak digestive organs two meals are likely to be better than three. When only two meals are taken, it is always best to dispense with the evening meal, which is often responsible for the morning headache, coated tongue, and foul breath, as well as lack of appetite for breakfast.

Thorough Mastication Essential

Too much stress can not be laid on mouth digestion, or mastication, as this is frequently neglected by all classes of people. Slow and prolonged chewing prepares the food for the stomach, and prepares the stomach for the food. The digestive juices all flow freely as the result of chewing.

Happy Effect of Outdoor Exercise

The effect of exercise in the open air on the digestion is wonderful. A walk in the fresh air, following a meal, is a great aid to its digestion. Violent exercise should not be engaged in soon after eating. But gentle exercise produces a balancing of the circulation as well as an increase in respiration, which have a happy effect on the digestive process.—J. J. Bell, M. D.