1870. 



NEW ENGLAND FARIMER. 



455 



3. Cholera Infantum. 



This is a disease of infancy and early child- 

 hood, the subjects being chiefly between the 

 ages of four months and two years, or about 

 the period of the first dentition. It prevails 

 as an epidemic in all the large cities during 

 the season of the greatest heat. In the coun- 

 try, it generally occurs in a sporadic form, 

 although it sometimes becomes epidemic. It 

 generally begins with a profuse diarrhcea, the 

 discharges being very thin and light colored, 

 green, or yellow. The stomach soon becomes 

 irritable, and rejects every thing that is taken 

 into it. Great languor and prostration come 

 on speedily, and extreme emaciation takes 

 place rapidly. The tongue is covered with a 

 ■white, slimy mucous, the skin is dry and harsh, 

 the pulse is small and quick, the head and ab- 

 domen are hot, while the extremities either 

 retain their natural temperature or become 

 morbidly cool. There is great thirst, but 

 whatever liquid is taken is quickly rejected. 

 In most cases there is considerable fever, es- 

 pecially towards evening, and the child suffers 

 more or less paia, as is indicated by fretful- 

 ness, low moaning cries, frequent change of 

 posture, drawing up of the knees, and occa- 

 fcional acute screams. The abdomen is ofcen 

 somewhat enlarged, and tender to the touch, 

 and occasionally the patient becomes deliri- 

 ous. Death sometimes occurs within twenty- 

 four hours of the first appearance of the dis- 

 ease, but in a majority of cases the sufferings 

 are more protracted. 



The causes of this affection are a heated, 

 confined and impure atmosphere acting di- 

 rectly on the skin, and indirectly on the mucous 

 surface of the stomach and bowels, assisted, 

 oftentimes, by over-feeding or improper feed- 

 ing, and these causes are rendered more effec- 

 tive by teething. 



The treatment of cholera infantum should 

 consist in placing the patient in a clean, dry, 

 and well-ventilated room, upon a mattrass or 

 a folded blanket laid upon the straw bed ; in 

 covering the body with a soft, dry flannel ; in 

 administering a warm bath once or twice a 

 day, to be followed by gentle friction over the 

 •whole body with the hand or a soft, dry flan- 

 nel ; in dividing the gums, if they are swollen 

 and hard ; in giving very small quantities of 

 iced water, or of cold, mucilaginous drinks ; 

 in improving the character of the secretions by 

 small doses of aromatic syrup of rhubarb, or 

 equal parts of tincture of rhubarb and chalk 

 mixture ; and in supporting the strength by a 

 weak punch of biandy and milk, with or with- 

 out sugar, as the stomach will bear it best. 

 When the vomiting is persistent, physicians 

 frequently give small doses of bismuth and 

 pepsin, in equal parts ; and if the disease be- 

 comes chronic, tannin, oak bark and other 

 astringents may be employed. The diet 

 should consist of boiled milk, with or without 

 wheat or rice flour, as may best suit the case, 



boiled wheat flour, arrowroot, and such like 

 articles. 



For the New England Farmer, 

 USE OF MUCK AND DEY EAKTH. 



Since I last wrote to you, I have often been 

 prompted to give some bits of my experience, 

 as from time to time I have perused the col- 

 umns of your excellent paper, but pressure of 

 other matters have prevented, and it is quite 

 possible that all concerned are as well or better 

 off for my silence. It occurs to me just now 

 that you may not be so crowded through the 

 busy hay season, as you are at some other 

 times, and feeling like writing, though my gun 

 is not loaded for any particular game, having 

 almost forgotten the various topics that have 

 been presented from time to time, that I 

 wished to have my say about, I will begin with 

 muck. 



Many farmers are interested in the muck 

 question. I have dabbled in it some for sev- 

 eral years, keeping my hog yards, which are 

 in the barn cellar, under the horse stable, sup- 

 plied with it the year round, putting in as much 

 of it dry, or partiallv dry, as possible. I also 

 use it for my cattle yards and for bedding 

 stock, &c. For this purpose it is necessary 

 to have it quite dry, and I have found it difii- 

 cult to dry it while it lays on the ground, even 

 though the land is dry. I believe it pays to 

 build a floor raised a few inches from the 

 ground beside the pit from which the muck is 

 to be taken, and shovel it first on to that when 

 the weather is pleasant. It will dry much 

 faster than if it remains where it can absorb 

 moisture from the earth. 



I am confident that we do not take so much 

 pains to save the liquid dropping from our cat- 

 tle as we ought to. If we cannot procure 

 muck or leaves and mould from the forest, 

 sawdust will make an excellent substitute, pro- 

 vided we do not throw the manure out to be 

 washed by storms before we apply it to the 

 land. The hst autumn was wet and winter 

 set in before there was much chance for get- 

 ting leaves, and I found it very convenient to 

 use sawdust. My manure was in very fine 

 condition to apply to the land. Spring opened 

 early giving farmers a chance to commence 

 spring work about the middle of April. Con- 

 sequently the crops were generally got in in 

 good season, and for once we have been able 

 to get our hoeing done so as to commence 

 hajing in June. The prospect now is that we 

 may get our hay this year before it is so hard 

 that the cattle cannot eat it comfortably. 



Farm crops all look well. Corn especially 

 is forward and of heavy growth for this time 

 of year. 



I see by looking over my scribbhngs that I 

 have neglected to mention one place where I 

 am very particular to use dry muck, and that 

 is the vault of the privy. Since it has been 

 demonstrated that such places can be kept 



