CHOLERA 



1362 



CHOPIN 



times of value in the early stage of diarrhoea 

 and in that of collapse. Mustard poultices to 

 soothe pain in the abdomen and cracked ice 

 to relieve thirst are other remedial measures. 

 Drugs of various kinds have been tried without 

 distinct success. 



Cholera Morbus, a much less serious ailment 

 caused usually by eating food in which certain 

 bacteria have developed toxic alkaloids. It is 

 also brought on by over-taxing the stomach 

 or drinking too much ice water, and occurs 

 usually during the summer. Its symptoms 

 are vomiting, diarrhoea, cramps and great 

 weakness. Cholera morbus is not usually fatal. 

 Treatment consists in purging the digestive 

 tract and then administering opium and other 

 drugs to relieve pain. Abstinence from food 

 for several hours is essential. 



Cholera Infantum, a disease that has a high 

 death rate among babies, caused by a com- 

 bination of excessive heat, improper feeding 

 and bad sanitary surroundings. Breast-fed 

 babies are much less susceptible to it than 

 those fed from the bottle, and it is especially 

 prevalent among poor families and in institu- 

 tions. It is believed to be infectious in origin, 

 but the specific germ which causes it is not 

 certainly known. 



Symptoms. Profuse diarrhoea, high tem- 

 perature and prostration are three specially- 

 marked symptoms that set this disease apart 

 from other infant intestinal disorders. An 

 attack usually begins abruptly with violent 

 vomiting and purging, but it may be pre- 

 ceded by a preliminary spell of fever, loss of 

 appetite and diarrhoea, lasting a few hours or 

 perhaps a day or two*. The stools at first 

 contain contents of the intestines, milk curds 

 and particles of undigested food mingled with 

 intestinal mucus and liquid waste matter. 

 Later the excretion becomes very thin and 

 colorless, leaving a greenish stain. Passages 

 are frequent and copious. Vomiting persists, 

 occurring simultaneously with the watery purg- 

 ing, or nearly at the same time. As a result 

 the child becomes very pale and emaciated and 

 suffers from great weakness. Fever is present 

 from the first, sometimes rising to 105. The 

 mouth becomes dry and glazed, the tongue dry 

 and shiny or coated with brown fur. Intense 

 thirst adds to the child's discomfort, especially 

 since the stomach ejects whatever is given to 

 relieve it. 



Severe cases may terminate fatally in eight 

 to ten hours, coma and convulsions sometimes 

 occurring at the last. Collapse and brain com- 



plications are especially dreaded by physicians 

 attending these cases. Milder attacks are con- 

 quered at the end of three or four days, cessa- 

 tion of vomiting being the first sign of conva- 

 lescence. The highest death rate occurs among 

 children less than a year old, who have been 

 taken from the breast. 



Treatment and Precautions. The sick baby 

 should be put in the coolest and best-venti- 

 lated room of the house. Every case of chol- 

 era infantum should be placed in charge of a 

 reliable physician and all treatment be directed 

 by him. It is customary to wash out the 

 stomach with warm sterilized salt or soda 

 water. Following the flushing small doses of 

 calomel 'are dropped on the tongue every half 

 hour until from one to two grains are taken or 

 the stools show green. Injections of water 

 into the rectum are also given, as it is neces- 

 sary to flush the whole of the large intestine. 

 Following this an equal quantity of tannin 

 solution is injected, in order to render inactive 

 any poisonous proteins remaining after the 

 first washing. Whatever drugs are admin- 

 istered must be given only as the attending 

 physician directs. If milk is given, only that 

 from the breast is safe to use. Thin rice or 

 barley water, and later on beef juice or animal 

 broths, are usually given when feeding is re- 

 sumed. 



This terrible scourge of childhood can often 

 be prevented by scrupulous care and cleanli- 

 ness. In hot weather the dangers to the babies 

 are multiplied, and the mother should make 

 every effort to shield her child from disease- 

 breeders impure milk, flies and unsanitary 

 conditions of various kinds. Keep the child, 

 its surroundings and its food hygienically sweet 

 and clean. 



CHOPIN, sho 

 paN', FKEDERIC 

 FRANCOIS (1810- 

 1849), a cele- 

 brated musician, 

 one of the great 

 masters of mod- 

 ern piano music. 

 He was born near 

 Warsaw, Poland, 

 of French parent- 

 age, and was 

 given an excel- 

 lent musical edu- 

 cation. In 1829, at the age of nineteen, he 

 played some of his own compositions at a 

 public concert in Vienna, after which he trav- 



W.A.E. 



