INFANCY, 
junction with the tribe of cordial stimulants 
just enumerated, we would strenuously ad- 
vise the application of warm, stimulating 
liniments to the belly, which should be 
rubbed over it with easy, but long repeated 
friction; for the friction of a warm hand 
alone is serviceable, and usually affords pal- 
pable relief even in a short time. If it do 
not yield to this plan, injections of a de- 
coction of chamomile flowers with a little 
ginger, or a few cardamom seeds should 
conjoin, and be repeated daily. Here also, 
as in the case of simple acidity, the food 
should be changed if the child be weaned ; 
and even in extreme cases, if he be not 
weaned, provided there be sufficient sus- 
picion that the milk of the nurse or mother, 
how well soever it may stand the test of 
examination, be the productive cause. 
When diarrhoeas proceed from a moist 
unwholesome atmosphere ; or from a sud- 
den suppression of any cutaneous eruption ; 
it follows, without further instruction, that 
the only chance of removing the complaint 
is, in the first instance, by removing the 
child into a healthier atmosphere ; and in 
the second, by exciting the skin to a new 
efflorescence. 
Another disorder, and frequently a very 
serious one, originating from a deranged 
state of the first passages, is thrush. That 
it arises hence there can be no doubt, as it 
has been known to seize every infant in a 
family, in which mismanagement or a want 
of attention to them took place, from acci- 
dental causes ; and to disappear as soon as 
the proper attention was resumed. It is 
evidently a disease of debility, connected 
with a predominant acidity, by the conti- 
nuance of which the complaint is aggravated. 
It generally takes place in the first month, 
but may be entirely avoided under proper 
treatment. 
This complaint first appears in the corners 
of the lips, spreading over the tongue and 
cheeks, in the form of little white specks. 
Increasing in number and size, they run 
more or less together, according to their 
malignancy, and compose a thin white 
crust, which at last extends over the whole 
inside of the mouth, from the lips to the gul- 
let, and even the stomach itself, and reaches 
at times through the whole length of the 
intestines, producing a redness at the funda- 
ment. When this crust falls off, it is suc- 
ceeded by others, often of a darker colour ; 
and the same appearance successively recurs 
till the disease depart. 
. It is sometimes preceded by sleepiness 
for a week or two. It is commonly without 
fever, which only supervenes in its pro- 
gress, in the same manner as hectic fever is 
produced in other cases, from the increasing 
debility of the system. Care should be 
taken that the child do not catch cold. 
The chief source of this disease seems to 
be indigestion, from whatever cause it may 
be produced ; and therefore bad milk, un- 
wholesome food, or even weakness of the 
stomach itself, are sufficient to produce it. 
These causes evidently give rise to acri- 
mony, which particularly affects the small 
glands of the membrane lining the stomach 
and bowels. Hence, on the principle of 
relaxation of these organs, a tea-spoonful of 
cold water, taken every morning, has been 
reckoned a useful preventive ; and this 
joined with a due attention to the excre- 
tions will often fully succeed. 
The principle of cure in this disease is 
simple and plain. The state of the bowels 
is the cause ; and this state is, at the same 
time, attended with a certain degree of 
acrimony. The first step, therefore, is to 
open the bowels, where costiveness pre- 
vails, by means of any of the laxatives enu- 
merated in the preceding diseases. The 
hntimonial wine has been particularly pre- 
ferred by some physicians ; and then cor- 
recting the acrimony by means of any of the 
testacious or shell powders, or which is bet- 
ter, common magnesia. Where the bowels 
are already in a loose state, instead of the 
above practice, as the child is generally 
weakly, two or three grains of the com- 
pound powder of contreyerva may be ad- 
ministered ; and, as the disease declines, a 
little rhubarb should be superadded, which 
will strengthen the bowels by its ^stringen- 
cy, and at the same time correct their acri- 
mony. When the disorder is removed, the 
child’s health will be restored by some tonic 
or strengthening remedies, as a tea-spoonful 
of camomile tea, or a few drops of the com- 
pound tincture of gentian, well diluted. 
These medicines should be given two or 
three times a day, the bowels kept regular- 
ly open, and the testacious powder not 
entirely relinquished, but occasionally ad- 
ministered. Where the disease appears 
very malignant, instead of the bitters re- 
commended, a decoction of the bark, with 
the aromatic confection will be preferable. 
In the use of absorbents, or testaceous 
powders, the dose cannot be precisely re- 
gulated, but must be increased or dimi- 
nished according to the effects. Three or 
four grains may be given, three or four 
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