Advice to a Mother on the Management of Her Children Part 27

"With eager feeding, food doth choke the feeder"

_Shakespeare._

_Treatment_.-Instantly put your finger into the throat and feel if the substance be within reach; if it be food, force it down, and thus liberate the breathing; should it be a hard substance, endeavour to hook it out; if you cannot reach it, give a good smart blow or two with the flat of the hand on the back; or, as recommended by contributor to the _Lancet_, on the chest, taking care to "seize the little patient, and place him between your knees side ways, and in this or some other manner to _compress the abdomen_ [the belly], otherwise the power of the blow will be lost by the yielding of the abdominal parieties [walls of the belly], and the respiratory effort will not be produced." If that does not have the desired effect, tickle the throat with your finger, so as to ensure immediate vomiting, and the subsequent ejection of the offending substance.

296. _Should my child be bitten by a dog supposed to be mad, what ought to be done_?

Instantly well rub for the s.p.a.ce of five or ten _seconds_--seconds, _not_ minutes--a stick of nitrate of silver (lunar-caustic) into the wound. The stick of lunar-caustic should be pointed, like a cedar pencil for writing, in order the more thoroughly to enter the wound. [Footnote: A stick of pointed nitrate of silver, in a case, ready for use, may be procured of any respectable chemist.] This, if properly done directly after the bite, will effectually prevent hydrophobia. The nitrate of silver acts not only as a caustic to the part, but it appears effectually to neutralise the poison, and thus, by making the virus perfectly innocuous, is a complete antidote. If it be either the lip, or the parts near the eye, or the wrist, that have been bitten, it is far preferable to apply the caustic than to cut the part out; as the former is neither so formidable, nor so dangerous, nor so disfiguring as the latter, and yet it is equally as efficacious. I am indebted to the late Mr Youatt, the celebrated veterinary surgeon, for this valuable antidote or remedy for the _prevention_ of the most horrible, heart-rending, and incurable disease known. Mr Youatt had an immense practice among, dogs as well as among horses. He was a keen observer of disease, and a dear lover of his profession, and he had paid great attention to rabies-- dog-madness. He and his a.s.sistants had been repeatedly bitten by rabid dogs; but knowing that he was in possession of an infallible preventive remedy, he never dreaded the wounds inflicted either upon himself or upon his a.s.sistants. Mr Youatt never knew lunar-caustic, if properly and _immediately_ applied, to fail. It is, of course, only a preventive. If hydrophobia be once developed in the human system, no antidote has ever yet, for this fell and intractable disease, been found.

While walking the London Hospitals, upwards of forty years ago, I received an invitation from Mr Youatt to attend a lecture on rabies--dog-madness. He had, during the lecture, a dog present labouring under _incipient_ madness. In a day or two after the lecture, he requested me and other students to call at his infirmary and see the dog, as the disease was at that time fully developed. We did so, and found the poor animal raving mad--frothing at the mouth, and snapping at the iron bars of his prison. I was particularly struck with a peculiar brilliancy and wildness of the dog's eyes. He seemed as though, with affright and consternation, he beheld objects unseen by all around. It was pitiful to witness his frightened and anxious countenance. Death soon closed the scene!

I have thought it my duty to bring the value of lunar-caustic as a preventive of hydrophobia prominently before your notice, and to pay a tribute of respect to the memory of Mr Youatt--a man of talent and of genius.

Never kill a dog supposed to be mad who has bitten either a child, or any one else, until it has, past all doubt, been ascertained whether he be really mad or not. He ought, of course, to be tied up; and be carefully watched, and be prevented the while from biting any one else. The dog by all means should be allowed to live at least for some weeks, as the fact of his remaining well will be the best guarantee that there is no fear of the bitten child having caught hydrophobia.

There is a foolish prejudice abroad, that a dog, be he mad or not, who has bitten a person ought to be _immediately_ destroyed; that although the dog be not at the time mad, but should at a future period become so, the person who had been bitten when the dog was _not_ mad, would, when the dog became mad, have hydrophobia! It seems almost absurd to bring the subject forward; but the opinion is so very general and deep-rooted, that I think it well to declare that there is not the slightest foundation of truth in it, but that it is a ridiculous fallacy!

A cat sometimes goes mad, and its bite may cause hydrophobia; indeed, the bite of a mad cat is more dangerous than the bite of a mad dog. A bite from a mad cat ought to be treated precisely in the same manner-namely, with the lunar-caustic--as for a mad dog.

Hydrophobia was by our forefathers graphically called _water-fright_: it was well named, for the horror of swallowing water is, by an hydrophobic patient, most intense, and is _the_ leading symptom of this fell and incurable disease.

A bite either from a dog or from a cat _who is not mad_, from a cat especially, is often venomous and difficult to heal. The best application is, _immediately_ to apply a large hot white bread poultice to the part, and to renew it every four hours; and, if there be much pain in the wound, to well foment the part, every time before applying the poultice, with a hot camomile and poppy-head fomentation.

Scratches of a cat are best treated by smearing, and that freely and continuously for an hour, and then afterwards at longer intervals, fresh b.u.t.ter on the part affected. If fresh b.u.t.ter Be not at hand, fresh lard--that is to say, lard _without_ salt--will answer the purpose. If the pain of the scratch be very intense, foment the part affected with hot water, and then apply a hot white bread poultice, which should be frequently renewed.

297. _What are the best remedies in ease of a sting from either a bee or a wasp_?

Extract the sting, if it have been left behind, either by means of the pair of dressing forceps, or by the pressure of the hollow of a small key--a watch-key will answer the purpose; then, the blue-bag (which is used in washing) moistened with water, should be applied to the part; or a few drops of solution of potash, [Footnote: Which may be instantly procured of a druggist.] or "apply moist snuff or tobacco, rubbing it well in," [Footnote: A Bee-master. _The Times_, July 28,1864.] and renew from time to time either of them: if either of these be not at hand, either honey, or treacle, or fresh b.u.t.ter, will answer the purpose. Should there be much swelling or inflammation, foment the part with hot water, and then apply hot bread poultice, and renew it frequently. In eating apricots, or peaches, or other fruit, they ought beforehand to be carefully examined, in order to ascertain that no wasp is lurking in them; otherwise, it may sting the throat, and serious consequences will ensue.

298. _If a child receive a fall, causing the skin to be grazed, can you tell me of a good application_?

You will find gummed paper an excellent remedy: the way of preparing it is as follows:--Apply evenly, by means of a small brush, thick mucilage of gum-arabic to cap-paper; hang it up to dry, and keep it ready for use. When wanted, cut a portion as large as may be requisite, then moisten it with your tongue, in the same manner you would a postage stamp, and apply it to the grazed part. It may be removed when necessary by simply wetting it with water. The part in two or three days will be well. There is usually a margin of gummed paper sold with postage stamps; this will answer the purpose equally well. If the gummed paper be not at hand, then frequently, for the s.p.a.ce of an hour or two, smear the part affected with fresh b.u.t.ter.

299. _In case of a child swallowing by mistake either laudanum, or paregoric, or G.o.dfrey's Cordial, or any other preparation of opium, what ought to be done_?

Give, as _quickly as possible_, a strong mustard emetic; that is to say, mix two tea-spoonfuls of flour of mustard in half a tea-cupful of water, and force it down his throat. If free vomiting be not induced, tickle the upper part of the swallow with a feather, drench the little patient's stomach with large quant.i.ties of warm water. As soon as it can be obtained from the druggist, give him the following emetic draught--

Take of--Sulphate of Zinc, one scruple; Simple Syrup, one drachm.

Distilled Water, seven drachms;

To make a Draught.

Smack his b.u.t.tocks and his back, walk him, or lead him, or carry him about in the fresh air, shake him by the shoulders, pat his hair, tickle his nostrils, shout and holler in his ears, plunge him into a warm bath and then into a cold bath alternately. Well sponge his head and face with cold water, dash cold water on his head, face, and neck, and do not, on any account, until the effects of the opiate are gone off, allow him to go to sleep, if you do, he will never wake again!

While doing all those things, of course, you ought to lose no time in sending for a medical man.

300. _Have you any observation to make on parent's allowing the Deadly Nightshade (Atropa Belladonna) to grow in their gardens_?

I wish to caution you not on any account to allow the Belladonna--the Deadly Nightshade--to grow in your garden. The whole plant--root, leaves, and berries--is poisonous and the berries, being attractive to the eye, are very alluring to children.

301. _What is the treatment of poisoning by Belladonna_?

Instantly send for a medical man, but, in the mean time, give an emetic-a mustard emetic--mix two teaspoonfuls of flour of mustard in half a tea-cupful of warm water, and force it down the child's throat then drench him with warm water, and tickle the upper part of his swallow either with a feather or with the finger, to make him sick as the grand remedy is an emetic to bring up the offending cause. If the emetic has not acted sufficiently, the medical man when he arrives may deem it necessary to use the stomach pump, but remember not a moment must be lost, for moments are precious in a case of belladonna poisoning, in giving a mustard emetic, and repeating it again and again until the enemy be dislodged. Dash cold water upon his head and face; the best way of doing which is by means of a large sponge, holding his head and his face over a wash-hand basin, half filled with cold water, and filling the sponge from the basin, and squeezing it over his head and face, allowing the water to continuously stream over them for an hour or two, or until the effects of the poison have pa.s.sed away. This sponging of the head and face is very useful in poisoning by opium, as well as in poisoning by belladonna; indeed, the treatment of poisoning by the one is very similar to the treatment of poisoning by the other. I, therefore, for the further treatment of poisoning by belladonna, beg to refer you to a previous Conversation, on the treatment of poisoning by opium.

302. _Should a child put either a pea or a bead, or any other foreign substance, up the nose, what ought to be done_?

Do not attempt to extract it yourself, or you might push it further in, but send instantly for a surgeon, who will readily remove it, either with a pair of forceps, or by means of a bent probe, or with a director. If it be a pea, and it be allowed for any length of time to remain in, it will swell, and will thus become difficult to extract, and may produce great irritation and inflammation. A child ought not to be allowed to play with peas or with beads (unless the beads are on a string), as he is apt, for amus.e.m.e.nt, to push them up his nose.

303. _If a child have put either a pea, a bean, a bead, a cherry-stone, or any other smooth substance, into his ear, what ought to be done to remove it_?

Turn his head on one side, in order to let the ear with the pea or the bead in it be undermost, then give with the flat of your hand two or three sharp, sudden slaps or boxes on the other, or _upper_most ear, and most likely the offending substance will drop out. Poking at the ear will, in the majority of cases, only send the substance further in, and will make it more difficult (if the above simple plan does not succeed) for the medical man to remove. The surgeon will, in all probability, syringe the ear; therefore have a supply of warm water in readiness for him, in order that no time may be lost.

304. _If an earwig or any other living thing, should get into the ear of a child, what ought to be done_?

Lay the child on his side, the affected ear being uppermost, and fill the ear, from a tea-spoon, with either water or sweet oil. The water or oil will carry the living thing, whatever it be, out of the ear, and the child is at once relieved.

305. _If a child swallow a piece of broken gla.s.s, what ought to be done_?

Avoid purgatives, as the free action on the bowels would be likely to force the spiculae of gla.s.s into the mucous membrane of the bowels, and thus would wound them, and might cause ulceration, and even death.

"The object of treatment will be to allow them to pa.s.s through the intestines well enveloped by the other contents of the tube, and for this purpose a solid, farinaceous diet should be ordered, and purgatives scrupulously avoided."--_Shaw's Medical Remembrancer_, by Hutchinson.

306. _If a child swallow a pin, what should be done_?

Treat him as for broken gla.s.s. Give him no aperients, or it might, in action, force the pin into the bowel. I have known more than one instance where a child, after swallowing a pin, to have, voided it in his motion.

307. _If a child swallow a coin of any kind, is danger likely, to ensue, and what ought to be done_?

There is, as a rule, no danger. A dose or two of castor oil will be all that is usually necessary. The evacuations ought to be carefully examined until the coin be discovered. I once knew a child swallow a pennypiece, and pa.s.s it in his stool.

308. _If a child, while playing with a small coin (such as either a threepenny or a fourpenny piece), or any other substance, should toss it into his mouth, and inadvertently allow it to enter the windpipe, what ought to be done_?

Take hold of him by the legs, allowing his head to hang downwards; then give him with the palm of your hand several sharp blows on his back, and you may have the good fortune to see the coin coughed out of his mouth. Of course, if this plan does not succeed, send instantly, for a medical man.

309. _How can a mother prevent her child from having an accident_?

By strict supervision over frim on her own part, and by not permitting her child to be left to the tender mercies of servants; by not allowing him to play with fire, to swing over banisters, and to have knives and playthings of a dangerous character; to keep all poisonous articles and cutting instruments out of his reach; and, above all and before all, insisting, lovingly, affectionately, but firmly, upon implicit obedience.

Accidents generally arise from one of three causes, namely, either from wilful disobedience, or from gross carelessness, or from downright folly. I quite agree with Davenant, that they do not arise from chance--

"If we consider accident, And how, repugnant unto sense, It pays desert with bad event, We shall disparage Providence."

PART III.

BOYHOOD AND GIRLHOOD.

_Just at the age 'twixt boy and youth When thought is speech and speech is truth_--SCOTT