Condensed Milk.-Condensed milk is an improper food for continuous feeding of babies. When diluted, as it must be, it contains much too little fat and also too small an amount of the proteid matters which are the flesh-makers. The amount of sugar varies; in the fresh condensed milk there is five times the quantity which is found in the canned milks. Babies often gain in weight for a time, but are subject to scurvy, rickets, digestive troubles, and poor nutrition, if the condensed milk is fed for any length of time, while such infants are prone to contagious diseases and to ruptures. Therefore, for continuous feeding condensed milk is to be condemned unqualifiedly. On the other hand, if the quality of fresh cow's milk is uncertain, or if cow's milk does not agree, or if a journey of a few days is to be taken, condensed milk is an excellent substitute for a proper, fresh, cow's milk, used for but a short time. The directions on the cans usually call for too great dilution: thus, for a baby of one month, dilute one part with thirteen of barley water (Vol. II, p. 197); for a two-months baby, dilute with eleven parts of barley water; at three months, with ten parts of barley water; at four to six months, with eight parts of barley water; and for older children, dilute one part of condensed milk with six parts of barley water.

Patent or Proprietary Foods for Babies.-Such of these foods as contain starch, or starch which has been partially digested, are not suitable for feeding in the early months of infant life; used injudiciously, they

have been the cause of more disease among babies than perhaps any other one thing except impure milk. They are not essential, and should be avoided unless recommended by a physician. The baby's digestive apparatus is not sufficiently developed in the early months to digest starch, and in the later months strained barley and oatmeal gruels take the place of the infant foods. If the starch does not agree with the baby in the form of barley water, it can be predigested by the mother (Vol. II, p. 198) at less expense than by buying such in a patent food. Some of the patent foods are unfit for any baby, and all used unwisely are bad. Scurvy, rickets, and many forms of malnutrition and wasting disease result from the use of these foods.

Urging or bribing children to eat, or amusing them while at meals, are practices to be avoided as both useless and harmful. Such methods will not improve a poor appetite, and will inevitably encourage the tendency to play with the food. If the child eats poorly or will take only certain favorite kinds of foods, no amount of coaxing, story-telling, or even force will be of any use. If, when the proper food is placed before the child, he will not take it or complainingly dallies with it, remove it at once, give him nothing between meals, and repeat the same procedure at subsequent meals. Hunger will quietly and forcibly accomplish what cajoling and talk never will, and the child will soon come to recognize the proper times and sorts of foods as the only ones.

CHAPTER V

Diseases of Children

Common Disorders of Infants-Fevers-Enlarged Glands-Rickets -Holding the Breath-St. Vitus's Dance-Spinal Diseases -Bowlegs and Knock-knees.

THE larger number of diseases of children are common to adults as well, and may be found in other parts of the book by consulting the index. Special mention has been made of any peculiarities of these diseases which may occur in children.

INFLAMMATION OF THE BREASTS IN THE NEWBORN.-This is not uncommon. The breasts of either girl or boy babies become swollen and tender, and a few drops of thin milk may exude from them. Ordinarily the child's temperature is not above normal, nor is the appetite disturbed, and these cases subside without causing any trouble.

The breasts should be gently and thoroughly washed with soap and warm water, and then covered with a few layers of cheese cloth, which has been wet in a warm solution of boric acid (a teaspoonful in half a pint of water), and then with oil silk and a flannel band about the chest, with shoulder straps to keep it in place. A fresh, wet application should be applied daily.

Rarely abscess of the breast results with increasing inflammation and redness, formation of " matter (pus) and fever, loss of appetite, and general disturbance. Such a case of course must be referred to the surgeon at the earliest moment for incision.

RETENTION AND PAINFUL PASSAGE OF URINE.-The baby may pass no urine for twentyfour hours after it is born, and yet there may be no cause for worry. If no urine is passed in the first twelve hours, it is well to put the baby in a warm bath, and if this does not lead to a passage of urine a doctor should be consulted, as there may be some deformity or obstruction. Very rarely there is no opening for escape of excrement from the bowels, and this is first brought to the attention by failure of the child to have a bowel movement. A surgeon must be summoned at once to remedy this condition. No urine is passed for many hours after a bad attack of colic in some cases, but this condition may be relieved by the warm bath.

Pain during the passage of urine may be observed when the urine is too concentrated and stains the diaper with a reddish or yellowish substance. Giving the baby an abundance of water will relieve this condition.

SMALL OPENING IN THE FORESKIN FOR PASSAGE OF URINE.-This is seen in the newborn boy baby as a natural condition. The opening is not only small as a pinhole, but the foreskin cannot

be withdrawn so as to expose the head of the penis. Naturally, this state changes as the child grows, but if it does not, and the foreskin remains attached to the parts beneath and cannot be moved freely over the penis, and if the opening for the passage of urine is very small, several bad results are apt to follow. The end of the penis is likely to become sore, red, and swollen, and the passage of urine painful. Some discharge may occur. The irritation leads to rubbing of the parts, and the bad habit of Masturbation often thus begins (consult also p. 207). Bed-wetting is a common consequence of the irritation. Prolapse of the bowel or rupture may be caused by straining to pass water. Various nervous disorders owe their beginning not infrequently to a narrow foreskin: such as spasms, St. Vitus's dance, and general ill health and nervousness.

Treatment. This consists in either circumcision, that is, in cutting off circularly a portion of the end of the foreskin; or simply in stretching the opening and loosening up the attachments of the foreskin. Both operations are done by the surgeon under ether. Parents should consult a physician when there is any suggestion of trouble such as we have described.

BLEEDING OF THE CORD AND SORENESS OF THE NAVEL IN THE NEWBORN.-Bleeding of the cord occurring soon after birth must be stopped immediately by tying a soft string tightly about it as far from the belly as the string will get without slipping off. Slight oozing after the cord has