DISEASES OF CHILDREN.
341
their breasts, to draw off the miik, as they call it. Though a smallquantity of moisture is generally found in the breasts of infants, yet, asthey are certainly not intended to give suck, this ought never to be•Irawn off. I have seen this cruel operation bring on hardness, inflam-mation, and suppuration of the breasts, but never knew any ill conse-quences from its being omitted. When the breasts are hard, the onlyapplication that we would recommend is a soft poultice, or a little olthe diachylon plaster spread thin upon a bit of soft leather, about thesize of half a crown, and applied over each nipple. These may be suf-fered to continue till the hardness disappears.
It must be obvious to every attentive person, that the first diseases ofinfants arise chiefly from their bowels. Nor is this in the least to bewondered at, as they are in a manner poisoned with indigestible drillsand improper diet as soon as they come into the world. Every thingthat the stomach cannot digest may be considered as a poison ; and un-less it can be thrown up, or voided by stool, it must occasion sickness, gripes, spasmodic affections of the bowels, or what the gooawomen call inward fits, and at last convulsions and death.
As these symptoms evidently arise from somewhat that irritates theintestines, doubtless the proper method of cure must be to expel it assoon as possible. The most safe and effectual method of doing this isby gentle vomits. Five or six grains of the powder of ipecacuanha majbe mixed in two table-spoonfuls of water, and sweetened with a littlesugar. A tea-spoonful of this may be given to the infant every quarterof an hour till it operates ; or, what will more certainly answer the pur-pose, a grain of emetic tartar may be dissolved in three ounces of watersweetened with a little syrup, and given as above. Those who are un-willing to use the taetarised antimony, may give six or sevendrops of antimonial wine in a tea-spoonful of water or thin gruel. Smalldoses of the ipecacuanha wine will be found more gentle than any of theabove, and ought to be preferred.
These medicines will not only cleanse the stomach, but will generallylikewise open the body. Should this however not happen, and if thechild be costive, some gentle purge will be necessary ; for this purpose,some manna and pulp of cassia may be dissolved in boiling water, andgiven in small quantities till it operates; or, what will answer ratherbetter, a few grains of magnesia alba may be mixed in any kind of foodthat is given to the child, and continued till it has the desired effect. Itthese medicines be properly administered, and the child's belly andlimbs frequently rubbed with a warm hand before the fire, they wiLseldom fail to relieve those affections of the stomach and bowels fromwhich infants suffer so much.
These general directions include most of what can be done for relieving the internal disorders of infants. They will likewise go a considera-ble way in alleviating those which appear externally, as the rash, gum,or fellon, &c. These, as was formerly observed, are principally owing'<> too hot a regimen, and consequently will be most effectually relievedby gentle evacuations. Indeed, evacuations of one kind or other con-stitute a principal part of the medicine of infants, and will seldom, ifadministered with prudence, in any »f their diseases, fail to give relief