GLOSSITIS, 449 



there is usually abnormal decomposition, it does not appear very im- 

 probable that part of these diarrhoeas are caused by the presence of 

 thrush-deposit in the mouth and its passage into the stomach and in- 

 testine. 



TREATMENT. Mothers rarely use an amount of care in cleaning 

 the baby's mouth sufficient to prevent the development of thrush. It 

 is true the mouth is washed out in the morning, and at night when 

 undressing it ; but during the day they let it go to sleep on the breast, 

 carefully withdraw the nipple from the mouth so as not to awake it, 

 and lay it in the cradle, while the last portions of milk, not yet swal- 

 lowed, remain in the mouth and decompose, preparing the mouth for 

 the thrush-fungus. The physician should strongly urge his patients to 

 carefully wash the baby's mouth with a linen rag dipped in water, or a 

 mixture of water and wine, after each feeding, whether it is to go to 

 sleep or not, and they will almost certainly remain free from thrush. 



Even after the development of thrush we may limit ourselves to 

 carefully removing the creamy deposit and washing the mouth. The 

 home remedies, such as sprinkling the mouth with sugar, painting it 

 with borax and mel rosse, which are advised by the nurses, are to be 

 avoided ; they render the mouth sticky, give new material for decom- 

 position, and do not at all interfere with the development of the 

 thrush. The accompanying diarrhoea must be treated according to 

 principles hereafter set down. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



JPARENCHYMATOUS INFLAMMATION OF THE TONGUE GLOSSITIS. 



ETIOLOGY. In most cases of glossitis an exudation is deposited 

 between the muscular filaments of the tongue while they themselves 

 are rarely inflamed or destroyed (see pathogenesis of myocarditis). 



Acute parenchymatous glossitis is a rare affection, it is only induced 

 by severe injuries affecting the tongue ; such as burns and injuries 

 from acrid or caustic substances, and especially from bee and wasp 

 stings. Chronic partial glossitis results most frequently from the pres- 

 sure of sharp edges of the teeth and rough pipe-stems. We do not 

 know the causes of dissecting glossitis, nor that of a superficial glos- 

 sitis, which very properly has been termed psoriasis of the mouth, in- 

 asmuch as it is marked by an infiltration of the lingual mucous mem 

 brane with morbid production of epithelium. The only good descrip- 

 tion of this affection which I have been able to find is in Rayers's work 

 on cutaneous diseases under the title " Pityriasis of the Mouth ; " al- 

 though I myself have met with it three times in the past year. 

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