THRUSH, known also as infantile sore mouth, is essentially a disease of early infancy, although it may occur at any age. Its characteristic symptom is the presence of small roundish white specks or patches on the lining membrane of the cavity of the mouth and throat, on the surface of the tongue, the angles of the lips, etc. These patches, which are termed aphthm, look like minute drops of tallow or fragments of curd, and are formed by elevated portions of epithelium covering a drop of serous fluid; and as the dead epithelium falls off, a raw surface, or a dirty ash-colored spot, is left exposed. In thrush, crops of these little patches commonly succeed one another. These spots render the mouth hot and tender, in consequence of which the act of sucking is accompanied by difficulty and pain. In association with these local symptoms are indications of general constitutional disturbance, such as feverishness, drowsiness, sickness, flatulence, colicky paius, diarrhoea, etc. The stools are green and slimy, and not unfrequently acrid, as may be inferred from redness of the anus being a common symptom. The vomited matters are also green, and have a strongly acid smell, as also has the breath. The com
plaint sometimes seems to be the result of improper diet, if the child is being brought up by hand, or of unwholesome milk from a diseased or intemperate nurse; of bad ven tilation, etc.; but in some cases the cause of the disease is not evident. The disorder usually lasts eight or ten days, and is only attended with danger when the local affec tion runs into a low form of gangrenous ulceration. As undue acidity of the stomach teems to be an almost general symptom, the diet should be carefully regulated, and mild ontacids prescribed. Dr. (now sir Thomas) Watson specially recommends a mixture of 2 parts of dried carbonate of soda and 1 of gray powder (mercury with chalk), of which from three to five grains may be given thrice daily. As a local application to the patches, honey of borax may be applied with a camel-hair pencil; or a pinch of a mixture of powdered borax and loaf-sugar (1 to 8 or 10) may be placed occasionally on the tongue, and the infant allowed to spread it over the mouth.