For this purpose the mother should make herself familiar with
the appearances of the gum under distention and inflammation; a matter
of no difficulty, accompanied, as this condition usually is, by a
profuse secretion of saliva, heat of mouth, and at a time when the age
of the child justifies the supposition that it is about to cut its
first tooth, or, if it have some teeth, that others are about to appear.
SECONDLY, TO THE FOOD.--If a child is teething with difficulty, it
should always have its quantity of nourishment diminished. If it is
being fed, as well as nursed at the breast, at the time, the former
should be immediately withheld: if it is being fed alone, the only
kind of food that should be allowed is milk and water. These cases are
much aggravated by the not uncommon habit of parents giving the infant
food whenever it cries from the irritation attending upon the process;
and thus a slightly difficult dentition is converted into serious
disease.
THIRDLY, TO THE STATE OF THE BOWELS.--These must be carefully watched,
that they may not become confined; it being necessary that they should
be gently relaxed at this time. If a slight diarrhoea is present, it
must not be checked; if it pass beyond this, however, medicine must be
had recourse to, and great benefit will also arise from putting the
child into a warm hip-bath, and warmly clothing the body, but keeping
the head cool.
Pages:
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128