Pepsini, 6 to 12 grains.
M. et div. in pulv. No. 12.
Sig.: One every four hours, alternating with the following:— R Hydrarg. chloridi mitis, V, grain. Cerii oxalat., 2 grains.
Sacch. alb., q. s.
M. et div. in pule. No. 12.
Sig.: One every four hours. . Stengel (N. C. Med. Jour., Apr. 20, '99).
The most common mistake made in private practice is to temporize during the first few hours with a case of summer diarrhoea, the child not appearing to be very ill. The rule should be to stop food at once and completely. The condition is primarily one of acute intoxication; hence the stomach and intestine should be evacuated as soon as possible. Irriga gation of the bowel in bad cases four or five times daily is of great value. The water should be at first at a temperature of 100° F. or a little higher. Before fin ishing the irrigation it may be well to allow the temperature to sink as low as 75° F. Instead of giving these children food they should be given small quanti ties of sterile, tepid water at short in tervals. Sterilized milk must be ex chided in these cases. L. Emmett Holt (Med. Record, July 1, '99).
Brewers' yeast successfully used in gastro-enteritis in children. An aperient is first administered. The intestine is then washed out, and a teaspoonful of dried yeast, or a dessertspoonful of fresh yeast, dissolved in 2 fiuidounces of boiled water at about 9S° F., is then introduced by a rectal tube. The tube is withdrawn, and the child is kept still so as to retain the injection as long as possible. This process is repeated thrice daily, the ape rient, of course, excepted. Thiercelin and Chevrey (Gaz. des H6p., Jan. 9, 1900).
Seventy-one cases of infantile diarrhoea treated by salol or petroleum. The ages of the children varied from two months to two years, almost half of them being under one year. Only S of the children were fed entirely on the breast, and of these none died. Of the 63 bottle-fed infants 3 died. Salo.] given in powder, from grain every three hours to 3 grains every four hours, and petroleum in a 30-per-cent. emulsion. The usual doses for a child one year old were 2 grains of salol every six hours, and of petroleum 1 drachm of the emulsion thrice daily. W. E. Fothergill and J. Penny (Med. Chronicle, Apr.. 1900).
The glairy dysenteriform enterocolitis is favorably modified by fresh guarani powder, which should be used after cold maceration and be prepared some time in advance. The dose varies with the pa tient's age: from 7 to 30 grains in the twenty-four hours. R. Saint-Philippe (Le Bull. Mod., June 6. 1900).
The infection of the gastro-enteric contents not dreaded so much as the malnutrition following. Very fre
quently after successfully ridding the infected alimentary tract of the offend ing micro-organisms the infant fails to thrive. Or a severe form of cholera in tantum is carried through the storm. The baby seems much better, but yet no food can be had to agree. Fever may develop, and the patient succumbs to septicaemia. In these conditions human milk, even in small doses, has a powerful therapeutic effect. It stimulates the dis eased epithelial cells so that they again imbibe nourishment; it strengthens the body to resist the onslaught of infec tion.
Given a case of acute gastro-enterie infection of great severity, the ordinary measures must be instituted. The ali mentary tract should be thoroughly evacuated, and water administered in large quantities. For two or three days rice-water or barley-water may be safely given; but then the question of addi tional food arises. The answer is: add a little human milk to the rice-water. Gradually increase the amount of hu man milk, carefully noting its effect, and if symptoms improve sterile cows' milk may be gradually substituted for the human milk. If egg-water is used during the diarrhcea the human milk can be added to this. John Zahorsky (Pediatrics, Mar. 15, 1901).
No basis for an artificial food for children in the first year of life ex ists, and, further, in cases of gastro intestinal disorders in infants, with the passage of fluid, partially digested stools, the administration of a butter milk diet is attended in most cases with excellent results. Frequently within two or three days the diarrheea ceases; firm, normal stools are, passed, and the child begins to increase in weight. It is important that the buttermilk should be derived from the cream of perfectly fresh whole milk. A food prepared by adding 1 ounce of wheaten flour and 1 ounces of cane-sugar to every 2 pints of buttermilk, the whole being boiled, with stirring, for two minutes recommended. Quantities varying from '/, to 2 pints were given daily, and although the children did not like it at first they soon took it well. In a few cases it was found unsuitable and a more fatty diet resorted to. The infant mortality in the Kaiser and Kaiseriu Friedrich Hospital in Berlin has fallen since the use of this food. The good re sults are due chiefly to the presence of the casein in a finely divided form, and the writer does not think the diminished fat-content of great, importance. though most writers consider this factor also of value to feeble digestions. Caro (.Arehiv f. Kinderh., Sept., 1902).