Infants, Part 2. Infection ...

Papers on Health
by John Kirk

(Page 9 of 21)

It is now suspected that tuberculosis is transmitted to children mainly from the milk of cows affected with this disease. Cows are exceedingly liable to tubercular disease of the udder. It is therefore very difficult to get milk guaranteed free from the tubercle bacillus, and recent examinations of that coming into Manchester and Liverpool showed that from 18 to 29 per cent. contained this deadly germ. (Strange to say, tubercular disease of the mother's breast is practically unknown, and children never derive the disease from their mother's milk.) It is therefore of the greatest importance that only the milk of cows proved free from this disease should be used. The disease is easily detected, and if a demand were created for milk guaranteed free from the germs, dairymen would soon supply it.

Unless it is absolutely certain the cows supplying the milk are free from disease, the milk should be sterilized by heating to near boiling point, and then cooling rapidly. If kept twelve hours, the boiled taste goes off it, and children soon get to like it. Though sterilized milk will keep for some time without getting sour, it should be sterilized each day, especially if for infant use.

This treatment makes the milk keep without the use of preservatives, such as boric acid. We regret to say the use of these is not illegal, and they are largely used in preserving milk, butter, hams, etc. We have seen very serious illnesses produced in children (and adults too) by the heavy doses they have got when both the farmer and milk vendor have added these preservatives. This they often do at the season when the milk easily turns sour. Every care should therefore be taken to get milk guaranteed free from these noxious drugs; and if this is impossible, condensed milk should be used instead. As there is a great variety of brands of condensed milk in the market, always choose one which guarantees that the milk taken has been whole milk, and also unsweetened.

Infants' Sleep - See Children's Sleep.

Infection - Few things have so great and distressing effect as the fear of infection in disease. As a rule this fear is not justified by the facts, where ordinary precautions are taken. These precautions, too, need not be costly, and involve in many cases little more than some careful work. Where scarlet fever has shown itself in any household, the very first thing is to see to the continuous freshening of the air in the sick-room and in all the house. Ventilation is, indeed, the first and most important method of disinfection. Chloride of lime and other disinfecting fluids will decompose the offensive and noxious odors, but pure air will sweep the organisms of disease themselves away.

Fresh air kills the microbes of certain diseases, e.g., consumption, and is hostile to all disease. The stools of typhoid patients should be disinfected, and great care taken that no water or other fluid is contaminated by them through imperfect sanitation, etc. (see Fever, Typhoid). Seeing that the seeds of disease are all around us, the best method of warding off their attacks is to keep the body in a state to resist their inroads by strict attention to diet, exercise and ventilation. Let all be done also, by fires if necessary, to thoroughly dry the room and house. See that all the family breathe fresh air by night as well as by day; have open windows where and when possible.

Acetic acid is as powerful a disinfectant as carbolic acid, in proportion to its strength, and has the advantage of being harmless, unless in the glacial form.

In all cases of infectious disease these precautions are almost certain to prevent its spread, with, in addition, the special ones given under the head of the disease.

Inflammation, Deep-seated - Often inflammation occurs in the center of, or beneath, a mass of muscle, as the hip or thigh. We refer not to the formation of an abscess, but to the violent, hot inflammatory action that often issues in an abscess. For this the treatment should be strong moist heat applied to the back, where the nerve roots of the inflamed part lie, and persistent cooling of the part which is painful. The heat may be by bran poultice, fomentation, or hot-water bag and moist flannel. The cold must not be ice, but only cold water cloths frequently renewed.

It is curious to see how people are frightened at the only thing that gives relief, and not at all at that which does the most damage. A gentleman wrote us once that he had had eighteen blisters on, but was afraid to apply a cold cloth. We wrote him that if he still lived after eighteen fly blisters, he would surely not die under a cold cloth. They will say they have tried so many things. We reply, that if they had tried a million wrong things, and shrunk from the right one, they would be only so much the worse.

If there is local swelling, and signs that an abscess is forming, then treat as recommended for Abscess.

Inflammation of the Bowels - See Bowels.

Inflammation of the Brain - See Brain. See also Knee; Limbs, Inflamed; Lungs, etc.

Inflammatory Outbreaks - Sometimes a severe out-break and eruption will occur in and around the nostrils or lips, and spread over the face. (If of the nature of erysipelas, treat as under that head.) In ordinary cases, there is need for more than local treatment, as it is probable that more or less failure in the skin exists. Also the feet will be most probably cold and damp. Let these be bathed (see Bathing Feet), and dried. Then rub them with cayenne lotion for some ten minutes, until in a glow of heat. Dry well, rub on hot olive oil, and dry again. Do this twice a day for a week. Warm and dry stockings must be worn. The skin of the back will probably be found dry and rough. Wash it down daily with soap and hot water, and rub with warm olive oil.

After a week of this treatment, probably the eruption will be much lessened. If it is still troublesome, apply cool cloths to the whole head, avoiding the sore parts, until it is generally cooled down and the skin softened, or the head may be, instead of this, packed in lather of the soap already mentioned. (see Head, Soaping). For the sore itself, apply weak vinegar or very weak acetic acid, and a little olive oil after. But it is best if it can be healed in such cases without any local application, through the general treatment of feet and skin.

Printed by Hurst Bros., Shaw Heath, Stockport. 1904.