with their mother. Head- squares, woollen gowns, and too
many shawls and wraps, added to the ayah sitting into the
fire in a room hermetically shut up, are productive of croup
and cold.
Vaccination is much better performed at the expiration of
tlie first month if the babe be healthy and the weather cold
or cool. Ask your doctor to send the vaccinator, with a
healthy child to take the lymph from, and have it done before
you. There is no occasion (as is the custom) to do it on both
arms, nor on the arm at all, if you fear future disfigurement,
though in the case of a boy it may not signify. A child of
the author’s, when about six weeks old, being met by the
Civil Surgeon on the Mall at Simla, was there and then vac-
cinated by him on the knee, after he had vaccinated another
child on the ankle. Four or five punctures are quite sufficient,
if properly effected. Hold the part vaccinated close to the
fire or in the sun till perfectly dry, after which there is no
need to make any fuss, or to tie up the sleeve, or to take it
out, as will doubtless be suggested. When the scab forms
and the arm is very red for two or three days, put the cotton
gown next to the arm and the jacket outside. The author’s
first child nearly died from bronchitis brought on by the
absurd advice referred to ; and as vaccination is usually per-
formed in the cold weather, it is well to make a note of this.
Dosing a child perpetually is a bad custom, and for this
reason don’t be sending for the doctor every day. Remember
that a child’s motions depend on the action of the liver and
digestion, which is often not quite right ; and as long as its
motions are kept under control, there is nothing to be uneasy
about if the child looks well, and is bright and thriving in
other respects. A few simjjle powders of rhubarb and soda,
or magnesia, or rhubarb and bismuth, given in dill water, will
probably be all that is necessar3^ The nursing mother, with-
out being fidgety, should be careful to keep to wholesome and
simple food, and this jirinciple should be followed in the case
of the dhaee, and even of the cow, for the sudden change from
hhoosa to green wheat will affect the cow, and the child
through her. Should diarrhoea set in, give a teaspoonful of
castor oil in warm dill water to clear out irritating matter,
and then give just a little rhubarb and aromatic chalk onlj\
Powders can be given in dill water and sweetened slightly.
i66
The Complete Indian
Few medicines in a nursery are best, and every mother should
understand exactly how to act, though she can leave what is
outside her understanding to her doctor. Diarrhoea sometimes
precedes dysentery. Dysenteric stools may be accompanied
by bile and substance ; this is a favourable symptom, and a
grain of ipecacuanha added to the rhubarb and soda may
suffice. Sometimes there is no bile and no substance present,
merely great straining, while very little is passed, and that
mucus or blood, or mucus only. The passing of mucus and
pain point to dangerous symptoms, and it will be well to
consult the doctor, who will give ipecacuanha combined with
soda, or if fever be present, Dover's Powder probably, ipeca-
cuanha being the great sjiecific for dysentery, and the Dover’s
Powder containing opium. It is well to remember in dysentery
as well as in diarrhoea to give the digestion as little to do as
possible.
Page 114
Presented as published in 1898. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
with their mother. Head- squares, woollen gowns, and too many shawls and wraps, added to the ayah sitting into the fire in a room hermetically shut up, are productive of croup and cold.
Vaccination is much better performed at the expiration of the first month if the babe be healthy and the weather cold or cool. Ask your doctor to send the vaccinator, with a healthy child to take the lymph from, and have it done before you. There is no occasion (as is the custom) to do it on both arms, nor on the arm at all, if you fear future disfigurement, though in the case of a boy it may not signify. A child of the author’s, when about six weeks old, being met by the Civil Surgeon on the Mall at Simla, was there and then vaccinated by him on the knee, after he had vaccinated another child on the ankle. Four or five punctures are quite sufficient, if properly effected. Hold the part vaccinated close to the fire or in the sun till perfectly dry, after which there is no need to make any fuss, or to tie up the sleeve, or to take it out, as will doubtless be suggested. When the scab forms and the arm is very red for two or three days, put the cotton gown next to the arm and the jacket outside. The author’s first child nearly died from bronchitis brought on by the absurd advice referred to ; and as vaccination is usually performed in the cold weather, it is well to make a note of this.
Dosing a child perpetually is a bad custom, and for this reason don’t be sending for the doctor every day. Remember that a child’s motions depend on the action of the liver and digestion, which is often not quite right ; and as long as its motions are kept under control, there is nothing to be uneasy about if the child looks well, and is bright and thriving in other respects. A few simple powders of rhubarb and soda, or magnesia, or rhubarb and bismuth, given in dill water, will probably be all that is necessary The nursing mother, without being fidgety, should be careful to keep to wholesome and simple food, and this principle should be followed in the case of the dhaee, and even of the cow, for the sudden change from hoosa to green wheat will affect the cow, and the child through her. Should diarrhoea set in, give a teaspoonful of castor oil in warm dill water to clear out irritating matter, and then give just a little rhubarb and aromatic chalk onlj\ Powders can be given in dill water and sweetened slightly.
The Complete Indian
Few medicines in a nursery are best, and every mother should understand exactly how to act, though she can leave what is outside her understanding to her doctor. Diarrhoea sometimes precedes dysentery. Dysenteric stools may be accompanied by bile and substance ; this is a favourable symptom, and a grain of ipecacuanha added to the rhubarb and soda may suffice. Sometimes there is no bile and no substance present, merely great straining, while very little is passed, and that mucus or blood, or mucus only. The passing of mucus and pain point to dangerous symptoms, and it will be well to consult the doctor, who will give ipecacuanha combined with soda, or if fever be present, Dover's Powder probably, ipecacuanha being the great specific for dysentery, and the Dover’s Powder containing opium. It is well to remember in dysentery as well as in diarrhoea to give the digestion as little to do as possible.