490 PEDIATRICS 



gree. Finally there exists an age disposition for a small number 

 of diseases depending partly on external causes, partly on the con- 

 dition of the tissues themselves. All these causes unite in individuals 

 of one and the same period of growth, and give rise to the fact that 

 in them a certain group of diseases is observed with especial fre- 

 quency, which occur much more rarely or not at all in other periods. 

 Thus each of these periods of growth has not only a physiologic, 

 but also a no less marked pathologic physiognomy. 



I. Infantia 



(1) New-born period. Malformations, congenital and inherited 

 diseases (lues), tumors, birth injuries (fractures, avulsions, hema- 

 tomas, brain injury), disturbances in the atrophy of fetal organs 

 (diseases of the navel), icterus neonatorum, irritation and lesions 

 of the tender skin and mucous membranes and favored by this 

 bacterial invasion of the body, which still lacks protective powers, 

 local and general sepsis, gonorrheal infection. 



(2) Nursing period. Disturbances due to incorrect quantity or 

 intervals of feeding, relative or absolute insufficiency of digestion 

 of food taken, especially in artificial feeding, irritation of the in- 

 testinal mucous membrane by bacterial decomposition products, 

 or invasion of the intestinal wall leading to chronic intoxication 

 and atrophy of the mucosa. The rapid growth of the brain is not 

 infrequently accompanied by over-irritability of the nervous sys- 

 tem (tetany), eclampsia and hydrocephalus. There is also a sus- 

 ceptibility of the skin and mucous membrane (bronchial diseases, 

 pneumonia) as well as a marked tendency to pyogenic diseases of 

 all sorts; specific infections, however, occur comparatively rarely. 



(3) Milk-teeth period. Disturbance of ossification processes (be- 

 ginning already during the first year) with its results (deformities 

 of the thorax and limbs), broncho-pneumonia, etc., from rachitis. 

 At the same time occur other dyscrasias (status lymphaticus, 

 scrofula, anemic states). The creeping of the child on dirty floors 

 and the tendency to put everything into its mouth in conjunction 

 with the lack of instinct for cleanliness produces the so-called dirt 

 infections: Numerous mouth and throat diseases, diphtheria, con- 

 tagious skin diseases, helminthiasis, pertussis, even tuberculous 

 infection of the upper respiratory or digestive tract and the con- 

 sequent lymph-gland tuberculosis especially of the bronchial glands. 

 From the latter the form of hilum phthisis peculiar to this age arises. 

 Frequent occurrence of local and miliary tuberculosis. Defects of 

 the intellect show their existence by delay or failure to learn to 

 speak and grave lesions of the brain by appearing idiocy and epi- 

 lepsy. Especial frequency of acute poliomyelitis. 



