A dose or two of this medicine will
effectually clear them out, without increasing the irritation, or
weakening the child, whilst it will in most instances altogether remove
the symptoms. If the flatulence, however, should continue, four or five
grains of magnesia may be mixed with the last meal at night, and a
little warm water thrown up into the bowel as an injection the next
morning.
Diarrhoea occurring in a child brought up by hand, if it be not the
result of overfeeding, will very frequently be found to arise from
unsuitable diet, the food given not being of a kind suited to the
infant's stomach; for what will agree with one child often disagrees
with another. Alteration of diet will sometimes alone suffice in these
cases to cure, if this alteration is only made early enough, before any
considerable irritation of the stomach and bowels has been induced.
Thin arrow-root made with water (prepared very carefully, or the child
will refuse it,) should be given for five or six days; the warm bath
used every night for the same period, a new flannel bandage rolled
round the body, and the child cautiously protected from a damp
atmosphere. The arrow-root, upon the cessation of the diarrhoea, may
have cows' milk added to it, if milk is not found to disagree: when
this is the case, chicken or weak mutton broth, free from fat, or beef-
tea, thickened with farinaceous food, with a little salt added, are the
best substitutes.
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