INFANTS. 



effort of nature to expel fome hurtful matter from the fyftcm, 

 which might othervvifc be produAive of many comijlaintt 

 at a future period. This opinion, however, is merely a vul- 

 gar ])rejudice, founded neitlier on reafon nor experience. 

 j1fh:hit appear to be eonnefted with a deranged condition of 

 the alimentary canal, and feem to arife moll frequently from 

 the too early or too liberal ufe of fpoon-meat, or improper 

 food : but other caufes occafionally produce it, fuch as 

 expofure to cold, damp weather, &c. In the treatment of 



and the free admiflion of pure air enforced : indeed, it is 

 probable that, in proportion to the cffedunl ventilation em- 

 ployed, the occurrence of the difeafe will be diminiftied,' 

 and its violence, wlien it does appear, mitigated. 



Another affcftion of the fl<iii, accompanied by fever, and 

 occurring under fimilar circumllances, has bi-en called by Dr. 

 Underwood, who was one of the firft to dcfcribe tlie difeafe, 

 x\\Q Jh'm-houiid d'ljeafe. This does not happen invariably, like 

 the preceding complaint, within a (liort time after birtti ; for 



this complaint, Dr. Hamilton affirms, that the great objeft it has been known to attack infants above fix montlis old 

 fhould be to promote its natural progrefs, and to counteraiSt It is ufliered in with violent fever, with coldnefs of the 

 the effects of the acrimony of the fahva. The early uie of limbs, opprcfled breathing, and almoft conllant moaninjr. 



ftimulant appHcations, fueh as gargles of port-wine and 

 boras; force off the fpots before they have undergone the 

 natural changes, and by their irritation keep up the difeafe. 

 But the proper objefts may be obtained by putting fre- 

 quently into' the infant's mouth a tea-fpoonful of a liquor, 

 prepared by mixing with the w liitc of an unboiled egg, three 

 table-fpoonfuls of cold water, and a little refined fu; 



The llvin is of a yellowifli-white colour, refembhng foft wax 

 in its appearance, and not only thickened and hardened, but 

 evidently unyielding ; the cellular membrane is fix;-d in fuch 

 a manner that it will not Aide over the fubjaceiit mufclet. 

 not even on the back of the hands, where it is ufually very 

 loofe and pliable. Tliis ftrifture often extends over the 



whole body ; but tlie flvin is pecidiarly rigid in the piirts 

 about the face, and on the extremities, Tlie child is aKvays 

 cold, and whatever number of days it may furvive, has 

 conllantly the appearance of being in a dying (late. The 

 ftools are of a clayey colour and confillcuce ; and the dif- 

 eafe feems to be much connected with a diforder of the 



gar, 

 by prohibiting all fpoon-meat, and by frequently dulting 

 tlie natural palfages with prepared calamine or tu'tty pow- 

 d^T. When the fpots become yellow, the bori.x may be 

 allowed. It is to be mixed with eight or ten times its 

 weight of powdered fugar or of honey, or it may be dif- 

 folved in fig-tea in the fame proportion. If the fpots grow chylopoietic organs, efpecially of the liver. The free ufe 

 livid, bark and port-wine fhould be ufed as a gargle, while of laxatives, together with the warm bath, and fome cordial 

 the infant is fupported by means of ten or twelve parts of medicines, appears to have been occalionally fuccefsful ; 

 warm cow's milk, mixed with one part of flierry wine, but in general, where the progrefs of the difeafe has not 

 The fame kind of nourilhrnent is neceffary in cafes, where, been arretted in the commencement, it has terminated fa- 

 from the extenfive incruflation over the tongue and cheeks, tally. 



the infant is incapable of fucking, which ohen happens for 

 a day or two. See Apuni.T:. 



f 2. Difeafes of the Skin. -Two lifeafes, of a febrile na- 

 ture, connected with a morbid coULition of the ilcin, have 

 been defcribed by writers on the diforders of infancy, which 

 n^erit attention. They are almoft unknown, however, ex- 

 cept to the phyficians of lying-in hofpitals, as they have 

 feldom occurred in the private houfes of individtials. The 

 firfl of thefe is eryfipelatous inflamnvation of tlie flcin, called 

 by Dr. Underwood eryjipelas infantile, which ordinarily 

 occurs within a few days after birth, and fometimes at a 

 later period. It feizes the moll-robuft, as well as delicate, 

 children ^'making its attacks in a very fudden manner, and 

 proceeding rapidly in its courfe. It moft commonly ap- 

 pears firft on the toes or fingers, which look fwelled and 

 blue, as if from cold ; but in the more violent forms, it 

 begins about the pubes, and extends upwards on the belly, the ' 

 and down the thighs and legs ; or fometimes it commences time 

 in the neck, when it is equally dangerous. It appears, in- not 

 deed, to be always moft dangerous when it feizes or fpreads 

 to the body, and moft mild when confined to the extre- 

 mities. Suppuration and gangrene are occafionally the con- 

 fequencej ; but even where neither of thefe events takes place, 

 it may terminate fatally from eft'ufion into fome of the cavi- 

 ties, or from the inflammation extending to the contents of the 

 abdomen, glueing the parts together, and throwing out ujran 

 their furface an exudation of coagulable lymph. On the 

 whole, the treatment of this infantile eryfpelas has too fre- 

 quently proved unTuccefsful. The ufe of faturnine lotions 

 and poultices, on the firft appearance of the inflammation, 

 fcemed to check Us progrefs at firft ; but it was foon found 

 to fpread, and to terminate in a fatal fuppuralion or mor- 

 tification. A more cordial plan of treatment has been 

 attended with a fomewhat greater degree of fnccefs ; aj'd 



The moft common affeftions of the fliin, however, that 

 occur in early infancy, are unaccompanied by fever, are 

 productive only of flight inconvenience, v^'ithout danger, and 

 confift principally of certain rafhes, or eruptions of papular 

 or puliular fpots. The n.oft common of thefe is a papular 

 eruption, which appears under a variety of forms, and lias 

 been called the gum, or technically Jlrophuhis. Dr. Willan 

 has dillributed thofe varieties of appearance under five 

 heads : the moft frequent of which is the red gum (or red 

 gown, as it was formerly denominated, probably becaufe the 

 child's fkin, thus variegated, fomewhat refembles a piece 

 of red printed linen), the flrophnlus interli/iffus. The pa- 

 fiidir, or pimples, in this affeftion, rife fenfibly above the 

 level of the cuticle, are of a vivid red colour, and commonly 

 diftinft from each other : their number and extent vary 

 much in different cafes. They appear moft conllantly on 

 the cheeks, fore-arm, and back of the hand, but are fome- 

 diffufed over the whole body. This eruption has 

 general any tendency to become puftular, but ufually 

 fcurf, or exfoliations of tlie cuticle. Its du- 

 ration, however, is very uncertain : the papul-.c and fpots 

 fometimes remain for a length of time without any altcrr 

 aticm ; fometimes difappear and come out again daily : but 

 for the moft part, one eruption of them fucceeds another, 

 at longer intervals, and with more regularity. The red gum 

 occurs chiefly within the two firft months of lactation : it 

 is not always accompanied or preceded by any diforder of 

 the conllitution, but appears occalionally in the ftrongell 

 and moft healthy children. In many inftances, it is cou- 

 neded with a weak irritable ftate of the alimentary canal, 

 and confequent indigellion. For if it be, by any means, 

 fuddenly repelled from the furface, diarrhoea, vomiting, 

 fpafinodic afleftions of the bowels, and often general dif- 

 turbance of the conllitution, fucceed ; but as foon as it rr. 



the application of externarftimulants, fuch as linen com- appears, thofe internal complaints are wholly fufpei.dot. 



prefTes wrung out of camphorated fpirit, has in fome cafes Dr. Armftrong and others liave partisularly notieed fli)> 



checked the iiiflainmation. The bowels fhould be kept open, reciprocatio.n, which makes the red gum at times » diffvi.- ,.,; 



Vol. XIX. L : fume 



