should at any time unfortunately manifest themselves, the mother ought carefully and diligently to examine whether the plan of feeding pursued is in every particular correct, particularly bearing in mind that the two causes most frequently productive of disorder in the child are overfeeding and the exhibition of unsuitable food—­the two grand errors of the nursery.  These results, however, have already been sufficiently dwelt upon as likely to take place at weaning, and they may of course occur to a child who is brought up on an artificial diet at any period.

[FN#37] See page 34.

MATERNAL TREATMENT OF THE DISORDERS OF THE STOMACH AND BOWELS.

As must have been already seen, the maternal treatment chiefly consists in the removal of the cause of the disorder; medicine may occasionally be exhibited by the mother, but its use in her hands must be very limited indeed.

Unfortunately the general resource and only remedy of most mothers in affections of the stomach and bowels is an aperient, and a combination containing calomel is the one too frequently selected.  The primary cause of the disorder is undetected, and consequently no measures taken for its removal, but purgative powder after purgative powder is given, the evil being supposed to rest in the bowels alone, and that such means must eventually get rid of it.  The mother is not aware all this time that the real source of the derangement is probably in the diet itself; that there is some error here, and that unless this is corrected, the remedies must be worse than useless.  The consequence of such a plan of proceeding is usually very sad; a confirmed and obstinate diarrhoea but too commonly ensues, and the infant is sometimes reduced to the last extremity.

The removal of the cause of the disorder, then, in a large number of instances of derangement of the stomach and bowels, if effected early, will cure the disease, and without further remedy.  But it will be asked, by what method is this cause to be detected?  In this way.  In all human probability the primary cause of the disorder is connected with the diet; this is the case in ninety-nine instances out of a hundred.  Well, then, is the sick child at the breast?  If so, ascertain whether the breast-milk is healthy and wholesome, or whether any circumstances exist which have rendered it otherwise?  If nothing faulty is found here, the next question would naturally be, whether the rules and regulations laid down for suckling have been strictly adhered to?  Or, whether the infant is sufficiently old to render it at all probable that a tooth may be irritating the gum?

Perhaps the child is being weaned; well, is there any error here?  Is the change being attempted too early? or too suddenly and abruptly?  If this is not the case, then, has the child been overfed, or is the food given of the proper description?

Is the child being brought up by hand?  Then, there is every reason to suspect, either that the quality of the food given is not the most suitable, or, that the quantity exhibited is too great; in fact, that the rules laid down for “artificial feeding” have not been strictly acted upon.