Cholera infantum, Symptoms.—­Usually begins with a diarrhea, which is often so mild as to attract but little attention, but should be a warning.  If a weakly baby has a diarrhea which persists, or is foul smelling and especially if there is a marked loss of flesh and dullness of mind, there is ground for worry.  If a bright child loses interest in things and has diarrhea something is wrong.  The two essential features are vomiting and diarrhea, and the vomiting is persistent.  First it vomits food, then the mucus and bile.  The thirst is great, but anything taken to relieve it is instantly thrown up.  The stools are frequent, large and watery.  They may be painless and involuntary.  They may look like dirty water, but later they loose all color.  They are sometimes so thin and copious as to soak through the napkin and saturate the bed.  They may be without odor, and again the odor is almost over-powering.  The prostration is great and rapid.  The fontannelles, openings in the head, are depressed, the face becomes pale and pinched, and the eyes are sunken.  It occurs usually during the summer months, oftener in babies under eighteen months and still more under a year old.

Cautions.—­This book will probably find its way into homes many miles from a drug store and possibly a long distance from a physician.  Should a child in that home show symptoms of cholera infantum it would be imperative for that mother to begin at once home treatments.  We, therefore, give below a number of remedies which a mother can either prepare in her home or can take the precaution to have filled at some convenient time and keep constantly at hand, properly labeled so she can turn to them at any moment.  On the other hand, should you have to wait even three or four hours for a physician begin one of the treatments below until he comes; you may save the child’s life by doing so.  Cholera infantum and pneumonia claim so many of our little ones each year, and in many cases snatch them away within a few hours of the first noticeable symptoms that we must advise you to call a physician as soon as you suspect it is serious.  Cases vary and only a trained eye can detect the little symptoms and changes that may weigh in the balance the life of baby.

Mothers’ remedies for Cholera Infantum.—­l.  Castor oil and warm applications for.—­“Give the child one teaspoonful of castor oil, then wring woolen cloths out of warm whisky and apply to the abdomen.  This will most always give relief, especially after the castor oil has acted upon the bowels.”

2.  Cholera Infantum, First Thing to Do.—­“The first thing to do is to give a teaspoonful of castor oil, so as to thoroughly clean out the bowels.  Then add one tablespoonful of turpentine to one quart of hot water and wring cloths out of this and apply to the bowels to relieve the pain that is always present in this disease.  The turpentine is especially good for the bowels when they are bloated and have much gas in them.”