Symptoms.—­Usually the child goes to bed perfectly well, or has a slight cold and wakes up an hour or two later, coughing and gasping for breath, due to a spasm in the wind pipe.  The cough is shrill, more like a bark; the cough is repeated at intervals and soon the patient breathes quickly and laboriously.  It must sit up for it can breathe easier sitting.  The voice is oftentimes nearly or quite lost, or at least only a hoarse whisper; the face is bluish or perspiring.  The spasm lasts for a variable period, but rarely exceeds one-half hour, sometimes only a few minutes.  The croupy cough and oppressed breathing may last longer than this, but these too subside after a time, after which the child drops to sleep and usually rests quietly for the rest of the night.  There is a tendency to recurrence on succeeding night unless obviated by treatment.

Treatment.  Preventive.—­Guard against such children’s exposure to cold winds and dampness, dress them warmly.  The living and sleeping rooms should not be too warm.  Do not give them food hard to digest at any time, especially before bedtime.  Foods hard to digest frequently cause the attack.

[28 Mothers’ remedies]

Mothers’ remedies.  Croup, Cold Application for.—­“Apply to throat a flannel wrung out of cold water, lay a dry cloth over it.”  This is an excellent remedy for a mother to try in case of an emergency when no other medicine can be obtained.  This very often will relieve a child until other remedies can be secured and has been known to save many children’s lives:  The cold water helps to draw the blood away from the larynx and air passages and also dilates the tubes and gives relief.  Take great care not to wet the child, as this will cause it to take more cold and may prove fatal.

2.  Croup, Sure Cure for.—­“Give child anything that will make it vomit, soak feet in hot water, apply onion drafts to bottom of feet, roast onions and put on the chest, keep warm.  My mother has cured me at least one hundred times with the above remedy.  She generally gave me pig’s foot oil, or oil from the feet of a chicken, sometimes melted lard.  Croup has to be attended to at once or it is fatal with the child.”  This is a very good remedy.

3.  Croup, Immediate Relief from Steaming.—­“Put a small shawl over the child’s head to retain steam, then put a small chunk of unslaked lime in a bowl of water under shawl.  The steam affords immediate relief, usually, if child inhales it.”  This is very good; shawl should cover the child’s head and bowl in which lime is dissolved.

4.  Croup, for Baby or Older Child.—­“Take a teaspoonful alum, pulverize it and sprinkle it on the whites of two fresh eggs in a cup or glass, let it stand for a few minutes, until the combination has turned to water, or water is produced; then give one-half teaspoonful to a child six months old or less and increase the dose to one teaspoonful for older children, and repeat the dose in fifteen or thirty minutes as the case may require.  Remarks:  From personal experience in my own and neighbors’ families, I have never known a case where it did not bring relief and cure.  The dose must produce vomiting.”