The mother's medical adviser : on the diseases and management of children, with recipes / [by Thomas Wakley].

  • Wakley, Thomas, 1795-1862.
Date:
1846
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The mother's medical adviser : on the diseases and management of children, with recipes / [by Thomas Wakley]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    observing the precautions that have been previously suggested; more particularly to those of diet, dress and nursing. There are also many of the trivial derange¬ ments of the system that may be cured by a mother's care, quite as efficaciously, if not more so, than by the family apothecary, who probably, with the view of satis¬ fying a parent, would be induced to do much more than is necessary for the welfare of the child; implicit obe¬ dience must, however, be paid to our directions. In the more serious complaints, the aid of a surgeon or physician should be immediately sought; many indi¬ viduals are prevented from calling in either of these practitioners from the fear of expence; but if they would reflect a little, they will find that the physician or surgeon pays but few visits, and has no object in drench¬ ing his little patients with bottle after bottle of needless medicine. TONGUE-TIED. This is a malformation, which in reality but very sel¬ dom occurs, but the practitioner is constantly having children brought to him for the purpose of dividing the bridle of the tongue, vor that membrane that binds the tongue to the lower jaw. If a child cannot suck, and there is no physical derangement of the mother’s breast, it would be fair to infer that the child is tongue-tied; and in that case the mouth should be examined. It is an operation that should never be performed excepting under the above circumstances; and several fatal termi¬ nations have occurred in consequence. At a more ad¬ vanced age, if the bridle is found so tight as to prevent distinct articulation, the operation may then be resorted to; but in the earlier part of life, and so long as the child can suck, it ought to be let alone. THRUSH. Of all diseases incident to children, perhaps this h the